Why would Putin tell the enemy ahead of time what he is going to do, enabling them to prepare in advance? That would be dumb, and he is not dumb. Why does there have to be only one reason why he is invading? The pandemic is being used to accomplish multiple objectives and goals. The same could be true here. And likewise Xiden’s masters could have multiple objectives in whipping people up to embrace this conflict. The one thing you know for sure is NOT on their list of objectives is protecting democracy.