I’ve not read this one anywhere, and there have been far fetched theories, so, why not put mine out there. It’s not that Vlad was sick, and so, he panicked and wanted to leave his mark on the world before he went out, so he started a war he thought he could quickly finish, I’d argue. He’s always been a devout nationalist — he truly thinks he’s doing what’s best for Russia. It’s probably also a necessity, since — if he’s got cancer — if he’s receiving chemotherapy then his immune system will be on the rocks. It’s bound to slip out after a while, so they capitalize on it and make it seem that Vlad is increasingly isolated… ...making decisions on his own.

Source: The Guardian June 22, 2022 23:01 UTC