AP----

Here is an excellent example of "doublethink"---Putin claims in a public statement there are no Russian military troops inside the Ukraine and in the same statement states the Ukraine is a junta led government and is not democratic.

In the West we 1) laugh and say yes there are Russian troops in the Ukraine and 2) the Ukraine has a President via democratic elections.

Putin though in his mind is totally correct in both his statements--remember I mentioned that Russia places a great deal of "faith" in legality. So therefore Russia soldiers who have signed a "contract" and or "vacation paperwork" would not be an "illegal or false statement" in Putin's mind and in fact is not a lie or a deliberate misstatement.

To us we think in the end he is just using a "plausible deniability" ploy or we would argue once a soldier-even outside the uniform always a soldier.

Secondly, in his mind he does not see the Maidan as a "legal" representation of the opinion of the Ukrainian people who elected another President (who even Putin stated kind of overreached in his stealing from the people who elected him in the first place) and who was then "overthrown" and in Putin speak via a "putsch/junta" and he "sees" the active participation of his worst nightmare the Ukrainian neo right (Right Sector) who he equates with Nazi's fighting in the Maidan and supporting the "putschists" then that is proof enough for his mind. See again just how the Russians hang on the concept of "legality"?

We would on the other side state the former President was a thief and the "people spoke" and in their own Parliament they voted him out "legally" from a Ukrainian perspective.

So in the end Putin makes two completely different statements in public and we "think" he is another world--but in his own mind he fully believes both statements to be in fact totally true.

Now the kicker-many of Putin's statements and thoughts are in fact driven by propaganda and if I had the time and the efforts to do it one can find the supporting propaganda released via their TV or news agencies to match the statement.

That is the core problem with a "fascist" state that is and was built on over 70 years of propaganda--it becomes mainstream and believed to be always the truth.