How many of the Russian top brass and politburo really relish the idea of living in a nuclear wasteland or as international pariahs? They can't all be bonkers.
Depressingly, the longer this goes on the more high level idiots seem to be rising to the surface.
The head of Russia's foreign intelligence agency said on Thursday it was wrong to speak of a new Cold War between Russia and the West because the situation was already "hot".
"Western politicians and commentators like to call what is happening a 'new cold war.' It seems that historical parallels are not entirely appropriate here," Sergei Naryshkin said on his agency's website.
"If only because in the second half of the 20th century Russia fought with the West on the distant approaches, and now the war has come to the very borders of our Motherland. So for us it is definitely not 'cold', but quite 'hot'".
Russia's ambassador to the (UN Human Rights) council, Gennady Gatilov, dismissed calls for an inquiry, denounced what he called the "criminal regime in Kyiv" and accused the United States and EU of supplying lethal weapons.
"We do not see any added value in today's debate," he said.
Both are extracts from the Telegraph's live coverage.