It's geopolitics, stupid: explaining Russia's Ukraine policy
Journal: Global Affairs
Year: 2015

What lies behind Russia's annexation of Crimea and its confrontational policies towards Ukraine? This article challenges the widely held perspective that President Putin's personality and his security-service background is the central driver of Russia's Ukraine policy. Instead, it puts forward a geopolitical explanation that emphasizes three factors: Ukraine's geographic location; the EU's increased activism in Eastern Europe; and the pro-western orientation of the new government in Kiev. Togeth