A Marist College professor and author of several books is weighing in on President Vladimir Putin's attack on the Ukraine, calling it a "very risky move."

Dr. David Woolner taught in Moscow when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Woolner says the warfare shows the west that Putin can't be trusted.

"What shocks me more than anything else is this is really the desire of one man to take over an enormous swath of European territory," says Woolner.

Woolner says because both countries are so close culturally, he believes the invasion could backfire on Putin.

"We should remember that there are many families that are half Russian and half Ukranian not only in Ukraine itself but also in Russia," says Woolner. "So, this is a very, I think a very risky move on Putin's part. If there's a lot of loss of life and a lot of destruction in Ukraine, this is not going to go down well with the Russian Republic."

There have already been anti-war protests in Moscow with reports indicating that more than 1,000 people were detained.

Woolner says sanctions should be placed on Putin.