No great power leader likes to be shamed and openly named an "international pariah", especially one who was confident that his "special military operations" would end in days if not a week.

The more Putin is seen in a condescending manner globally, the more he will lash out against not only Ukraine, but also the United States, the 27 member states of NATO and ultimately the 141 countries that collectively voted against his decision in the United Nations special session on March 2.

The world's biggest sanctions have been imposed against Putin and his oligarchs that number some 120-130 according to sources, with more sanctions to come. According to the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been sentenced to another nine years in prison for trying to protest against Putin’s decision to force Ukrainian President Vlodimir Zelensky and his cabinet to submit to the Kremlin's will in February 2020, it is enough to sanction 35 of Putin's cronies.

As seen by the results over the past one month, with the exception of few oligarchs who spoke against the war, none has congealed into a cohesive group to work horizontally with the Russian foreign and domestic intelligence agencies, two institutions that survive from the days of the collapse of Soviet Union on Dec. 26 1991, to challenge the rule of Putin.

Since Putin has not fallen yet nor reversed any of his policies, except by scaling back the war by limiting it to consolidating his hold on Donbask and Ruhansk, Khaviv and the port of Mariuopl, to choke off Ukraine from any maritime access, it is essential to admit Putin is one who is still capable of going high and low with his military strategy.

On Feb. 26, for example, Putin put all Russian nuclear forces on to an immediate "nuclear preparedness alert," in light of what Putin called “hostile and aggressive rhetoric” against him and by extension Russia.