> Gabuev added, Putin never had to do what a normal leader in a democracy would: go to his national-security establishment and say, “‘Hey guys, I want to invade

> Gabuev added, Putin never had to do what a normal leader in a democracy would: go to his national-security establishment and say, “‘Hey guys, I want to invade Ukraine, so let’s start thinking through the scenarios and debate the economic costs.’ Didn't we do exactly that with the Iraq War? In particular, Colin Powell's notorious UN speech that contradicted the State Department's INR reports on Iraq's weapons capabilities [1]. As others have stated, the problem is deviance from Constitutional checks-and-balances. The Executive branch is far too powerful, wantonly exercising judicial and legislative powers. [1] - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/18/colin-powell-un-security-council-iraq https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/18/colin-powell...