Why Putin is acting like a man who has run out of time

Analysis: As Ukraine drifts from the control he desires, disdain for potential negotiating partners leaves the option of force

Vladimir Putin has deployed his troops to the border with Ukraine, delivered impossible demands on Europe and appears ready to launch a new offensive to establish his domination over Kyiv.

Putin is said to feel a historical mission" to reverse Ukraine's drift towards the west, despite his own role in creating a rift by annexing Crimea and fuelling a war in Ukraine's south-east. But his current fast pace raises questions of why he appears to feel the moment to act is now, as if he is running out of time.