When the Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago, it meant Russia wouldn’t be able to dominate eastern Europe as it had. The historic fall on Nov. 9, 1989 also meant European democracies would no longer have to worry about a hostile superpower looming over their neighborhood. That held until this year, when Russia reverted to many of its Cold War-era policies. Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and support for an armed separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine represent a crucial reversal, even though they’re far from a full restoration of Russia’s former reach. To be sure, Putin’s aggressive policies in …read more
Source: Business Insider
