This is Michael Cohen and you're listening to the Mayor Culpa podcast.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin just escalated his invasion of Ukraine in a very big way,

announcing a short time ago what essentially amounts to a draft, calling up 300,000

military reservists starting immediately.

Vladimir Putin is entaking his recent losses in Ukraine gracefully.

That's not his style.

On Wednesday, he announced that he will mobilize reservists and risk further pissing off

the Russian people who headed to the airport in droves to buy plane tickets out of the

country.

Putin's war on Ukraine has been an economic fucking disaster and after only seven months,

it is likely set Russia back half a century.

This is not a bluff.

The citizens of Russia can be sure that the territorial integrity of our homeland, our independence

and freedom will be ensured.

And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds

can turn in their direction.

Putin gave a seven minute televised address warning the West that he isn't bluffing.

He will use all the means at his disposal to protect Russian territory, and not so

veil threat of nuclear war.

He's angry at all of the NATO countries who've supplied weapons to Ukraine and keeps warning

the West not to back Russia against the wall.

But all this he has done to himself Putin is expected to call as many as 300,000

...