Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Ishaan Tharoor: Putin’s epic annual news conference, condensed
A couple look at Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering a speech during his annual press conference on a giant screen, in Sevastopol on Dec. 18, 2014.
At his year-end news conference in December 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin had plenty of reason to preen. Russian opposition to Western intervention in the Syrian conflict had won sympathy in many parts of the world. Ukraine, at that point, appeared firmly in Moscow's orbit, and his vision of a Eurasian Union rivaling Europe looked a realistic prospect.
