At times during the past year Russian President Vladimir Putin has appeared to make somewhat sudden changes in policy as he has confronted the West over Ukraine and Russia’s influence in Eastern Europe. Earlier this year, for example, he publicly insisted the uniformed troops who began taking control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea in February had no connection to Russia. Later he acknowledged Russian troops had, in fact, been in Crimea. During the conflict in Eastern Ukraine he has moved Russian forces back and forth — in Russia and in Ukraine — in ways that suggest he is improvising …read more
Source: Time
