I have to question everything about this article because your analysis is very flawed. Territorial expansion has never been a "secondary objective" it has always been Russia's primary objective. The only people who are running around saying it is a secondary objective now are Russian sympathizers who are trying to save face because they are starting to realize that when the dust settles Russia is not going to be keeping any of the territories it is currently occupying in Ukraine and also will very likely lose what occupied parts of Moldova and Georgia.