The Russian annexation of Crimea and the subsequent outbreak of the Ukrainian civil war with its thousands of casualties are a European tragedy. It is the deadliest crisis in Europe since the end of the Kosovo War and with increasing NATO intervention the conflict is at risk of escalating even further. The West urges for peace while European and American elected officials as well as the media decry Vladimir Putin as the sole culprit of the deplorable situation. But the reality is more complex and albeit les
Russian President, Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin is an easy man to dislike. His authoritarian rule of Russia is strongly at odds with democratic ideals of the West. The Russian suppression of the free press and political opposition, the mysterious poisoning deaths of opponents and Putin’s strongman posturing are giving just reasons for critics to ridicule and criticize. The Russian president has a strongly unfavorable image in the West and the actions taken in Crimea seem to fit this perception perfectly. The annexation of the Ukrainian pen