Hubris seems to have gotten the best of Vladimir Putin. After the near disintegration of the once vaunted Red Army, Putin was determined to rebuild his military into a feared fighting machine. He made a number of much overdue reforms in his fighting force and got engaged in conflicts in Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea and Syria. He understood that national pride had as its cornerstone the ability to project force as a global power. Then came his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 which may prove to be his Waterloo. Dr. Mark Galeotti is one of the foremost Russian-watchers today. He is author of the new book ” Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine” and he shares his keen observations of the unfolding, perhaps unraveling, story of the Putin era.