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Why some US officials are concerned about Putin's state of mind.

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Here's why U.S. officials are questioning Vladimir Putin's mental state as he puts Russia's nuclear forces on alert.

"I don't think he's a rational actor because he is fearful," H.R. McMaster, a national security adviser in the Trump administration, told CBS' "Face the Nation."

"What he wants to do more than anything is restore Russia to ... greatness," McMaster said. "He's also driven by the desire to remain in power until 2036. I think now he knows all of that is at risk. The Russian military doesn't look very good; he doesn't look very powerful."

McMaster seized on an awkward televised exchange between Putin and his intelligence director last week in which the Russian president appeared to grow impatient, drumming his fingers and urging the official to speak plainly when discussing the growing tensions with Ukraine. "These totalitarian leaders can look strong, but they are actually very brittle," McMaster said.

"I’ve watched and listened to Putin for over thirty years," tweeted Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration. "He has changed. He sounds completely disconnected from reality. He sounds unhinged."

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