Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
David Ignatius: Putin is winging it on Ukraine
Russia's President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the polished stone block, reading Odessa, one of the blocks honoring several cities of the Soviet Union, the sites of the major Red Army battles of World War II, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Kremlin in Moscow, on May 8, 2014. Russia is gearing up for hugely patriotic celebrations of its victory over Nazi Germany in World War II tomorrow, but festivities in neighbouring Ukraine will be muted amid fears of provocations. Clashes and a resulting inferno in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa last week claimed another 42 lives, most of them pro-Russian activists, pushing the death toll over the past week to nearly 90. AFP PHOTO / KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV
In the chess game that is the Ukraine crisis, it’s increasingly clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn’t thought his way through to the endgame. He’s aggressive in his moves, but also calculating. He wants success but not at any cost.
