[Fuzz]

Western intelligence agencies have good visibility into Putin right now and are closely watching his moves for any significant behavioral changes, several current and former officials said. Four U.S. officials said there is no intelligence saying he is mentally unstable, but they said he has displayed a different pattern of behavior from in the past.

The U.S. has solid intelligence that Putin is frustrated and directing unusual bursts of anger at people in his inner circle over the state of the military campaign and the worldwide condemnation of his actions, one former and two current U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence said.

That is unusual, they say, because Putin, a former intelligence officer, usually keeps his emotions in check.

“He is no longer the same cold-blooded, clear-eyed dictator that he was in 2008,” former CIA Director John Brennan said.

A Western diplomat said Putin appeared to be increasingly insulated and misinformed.

https://www.nbcnews.com/investigatio...s-sa-rcna18026