Staunton, March 19 – Despite Vladimir Putin’s assurance that he won’t seek to absorb more of Ukraine than he has done already, the Kremlin leader almost certainly will continue his offensive approach there and elsewhere lest he look to himself or to his supporters as if he is backing down in the face of international […]
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Like All Aggressors, Putin Must Continue Attack or Risk Appearing to Be Backing Down, Bykov Says
Staunton, March 19 – Despite Vladimir Putin’s assurance that he won’t seek to absorb more of Ukraine than he has done already, the Kremlin leader almost certainly will continue his offensive approach there and elsewhere lest he look to himself or to his supporters as if he is backing down in the face of international […]
Moscow Will Use Crimea Vote to Expand Naval Presence in Black Sea and Mediterranean
Staunton, March 18 – If Russia succeeds with its Anschluss of Crimea, Moscow will be in a position to dramatically expand its naval base a Sevastopol and thus change the military balance in the Black and Mediterranean seas, an outcome that could have geopolitical consequences as severe as Vladimir Putin’s efforts to dismantle and humble […]
Crimean Tatars Fear Moscow May Try to Deport Them and Plan to Resist
Staunton, March 18 – The two most senior leaders of the Crimean Tatars, Mustafa Cemilev, the former leader of the Mejlis, and Refat Chubarov, the current head of that body, say that many in their nation fear that Moscow will try to deport them from their lands again and insist that they will resist any […]
Despite Initial Euphoria, Many Russians Less Certain Putin’s Crimea Ploy Benefits Them
Staunton, March 18 – Despite the initial euphoria promoted by the Kremlin’s propaganda effort, ever more Russians appear to be concerned that what Vladimir Putin has done in Crimea, however good it made them feel in the short term, may have bad consequences for themselves, their country, and even for those who have backed this […]
Russia, Now at War in Ukraine, is Between Reaction and Revolution
Staunton, March 17 – Russia today is in an undeclared but all too real war with Ukraine, a situation that many fear is the prelude to a long period of black hundreds-style reaction, Vladimir Pastukhov Says. But history suggests that this war may have another outcome, a Russian defeat in Ukraine and an ensuing revolution […]
Kosovo No Precedent for Moscow’s Actions in Crimea
Staunton, March 17 – Russian nationalists claim that what the West did in the former Yugoslavia represents a precedent for what Moscow is doing in Ukraine now, but in fact, Yekaterinburg analyst Fedor Krasheninnikov says, there is no basis for such an analogy because “Crimea is not Kosovo” and Russia’s actions are in no way […]
Russian Duma Takes Up Three Dangerous ‘Law-Like’ Measures
Staunton, March 17 – Every language contains words which say more than those who use them intend or even recognize. One such word or better suffix in Russia is “podobny” which means “like” or “analogous to.” Thus, Russians sometimes speak of something being “science-like” — that is, something that looks like science but really isn’t. […]