Imagine Vladimir Putin in a bobsled.  He is hurtling down an icy hill with nominal brakes and an uncertain end to his ride.

It gets worse every moment, yet he cannot really control his speed, and he cannot get out of the icy tunnel his bobsled is hurtling down.

He is trapped by his own ambitions and is oblivious to the world except for his forward, shaky vision in his bobsled.

Vlad's wild ride is not getting any better.  His goggles are icing up...

But back to reality.  In addition to economic and fiscal sanctions imposed by the United States government, other nations are also involved.  The sanctions appear to be working and slowly strangling the Russian economy.

Surprisingly, many powerful private corporations have temporarily ceased operations in Russia, including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Coke, Pepsi, Starbucks, and McDonald's, to name a few.  However, whom does that affect the most?  The Russian people, most of whom did not support the invasion of Ukraine, need the work and are the real consumers.

With a global economy, perhaps the economic impact of pulling every lever, private industry included, can drive change with the Russian people, including its leaders. 

How about the Russian tourist industry?  Down the toilet, which impacts millions of people.

Also in peril are the oil and gas industries, which make up the bulk of the Russian economy.  This crunch could be for the short term but with dark clouds ahead for the future.

Does Vladimir Putin really care?  He's alleged to have billions in assets and may be the wealthiest man in the world.  Plus he is the head of state, with the military presently at his command and control.

The Russian people are protesting Putin's use of the military in Ukraine, killing many civilians in urban and rural areas.  The military is stretched and stalled and has demonstrated they are not a force to be feared or reckoned with as previously thought.  The ragtag Ukrainian forces are holding their own, despite being outgunned, outnumbered, and in constant need of supplies.

Vladimir Putin now knows he greatly underestimated the will of the Ukrainian people and the supportive will of the Western world in this needless land-grab to put a large chunk of land and people back into the former USSR.   

And Putin had no idea that his adversary, President Zelensky of Ukraine, would be so much of a unifier of strength and resolve for his people.

The only real problem currently is Vladimir Putin.  I don't believe he is crazy, as many individuals have voiced.  I believe he simply screwed up.  He is a proud man, and he now must find a way out without losing his perceived honor and pride.

Is this possible?  Can his speeding bobsled avoid destruction and come to a halt without throwing him out?  

The United States, Western countries, and Ukraine can only wait and see if and when Vladimir Putin comes to his senses.  Until then, we should continue to support the Ukrainian people in material and spiritual ways.

Image: G20 Argentina via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.