Why did Putin invade?

Short perspective — the spectacle of people self-organizing to overthrow a corrupt, brutal, abusive regime is terrifying to his own corrupt, brutal, abusive regime.

Long perspective — the idea of a “Russian” people is an artificial concept (at least in its expansionist incarnation) and an 18th century idea, just like the idea of an “American” people. But the “great brotherhood” that is the Russian myth gets exposed for the lie it is by the assertion of Ukrainian identity — something Ukrainians have been struggling for for centuries. It’s evident in our poetry: “What are these Muskovites looking for in our torn open graves? Our past glory? An ancient parent? If they could only find one, our children wouldn’t be crying.”