The Way I See it

(Map by NBC news) This blog first was first published on the website of the Centre for Security Governance on 13 March 2014. Despite the emotions conjured up by history, language, culture and the dramatic events of the last few weeks, Crimeans would be wise to ponder whether they would really be better off joining Russia. There are a number of arguments that militate strongly against taking this path. First and foremost, despite what the largely government-owned Russian media

Speculation abounds as to whether Putin will plunge on from his Crimean putsch to raise Russian flags in Ukraine’s east. The stage is set if he so elects. The military forces are either in place or gathering. Russian nationalists have deposed local leaders in key Eastern Ukrainian cities, where there are strong Russian minorities, some of their representatives apparently activists in long-standing Russian nationalist organisations and others bussed over the border from Russia