What's His Plan? 

Vladimir Putin has been making a lot of waves recently. More and more he's sounding like a hard line Soviet... and less and less interested in democratic reforms in his country. I'm suddenly reminded of a scene from The Hunt for Red October:

Adm. Painter: What's his plan?
Jack Ryan: His plan?
Adm. Painter: Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan.

So far he's said that the break up of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, he's criticized the U.S. over the Dresden bombing during WWII, and he's for selling missiles to Syria and nuclear components to Iran. Of course all this is just within the last month. These aren't disjoint events either... and I certainly don't think that he's just doing it to stir the pot. He has a plan... I just have no idea what it is.

Is he going to try to rebuild the Soviet Union? I don't think that's feasible... especially with so many former Soviet states already part of, or about to gain membership to the EU. One could look at Russian attempts to affect former Soviet state elections (like the Ukraine) as a clue that maybe he wants to build a stronger Russian Federation on his own ala the EU. That seems to have failed pretty miserably. Is he still trying to move on that course despite early failures? Is there some other goal that I just don't see? Maybe like Jack Ryan I'll figure it out while I'm shaving. Wouldn't that be cool?