Sumantra Maitra (Otago): Understanding Putin's Foreign and Economic Policy Correlation. From The Monkey Cage, Steven Ward on how Putin’s desire to restore Russia to great power status matters; R. William Ayres and Stephen Saideman on why the Crimea crisis is not about a Greater Russia project; is Crimean independence or annexation a good outcome for Russia? No, argue Helena Yakovlev-Golani and Nadiya Kravets — in the long term, Russia would be better off with Crimea remaining a part of Ukraine; is greater decentralization a solution for Ukraine? Timothy Frye on the Mylovanov Initiative; and do Crimeans actually want to join Russia? Grigore Pop-Eleches and Graeme Robertson investigate. Kiley Kroh and Igor Volsky on how a fight over natural resources is quietly driving the world’s response to Ukraine. Ukraine oligarchs grab key posts in bid for unity. Leon Neyfakh on Putin’s long game: Meet the Eurasian Union. Ukraine is not Russia, but Crimea may not be Ukraine, either. Michael D. Kennedy on solidarity with Ukraine against Putin’s reality. Timothy Snyder on Crimea: Putin vs. Reality. Stefan Soesanto on how Russia might actually have international law on its side and the successful legal defense of NATO’s actions in Yugoslavia in 1999 might serve as precedent to justify Russia’s military incursion into the Ukraine. We’re just not that special: Andrew Bacevich on what the crisis with Russia reveals about the USA’s age-old self-obsession. Adam Gopnik on Crimea and the hysteria of history. Here's everything you need to know about the U.S.'s potential economic sanctions against Russia. Jakub Grygiel on how Putin believes that the West is decadent, weak and divided — the West needs to prove him wrong.
