Paul J. Saunders: How Russia Sees the Ukraine Crisis
Though Ukraine's not-quite cease-fire is far preferable to the summer's heavier fighting, it is far from clear that it will lead to a sustainable settlement between Kiev and eastern Ukrainian separatists, Moscow and Kyiv, or the United States and Russia. A recent presentation at the Center for the National Interest by Andranik Migranyan, a well-informed analyst and writer who runs the Kremlin-connected Institute for Democracy and Cooperation in New York, provides useful insight into Moscow's view of what would be required to get there -- and illustrates the wide gap between prevailing Western and Russian outlooks and expectations. His assessment -- based on a recent trip to Russia during which he discussed the crisis with a number of senior officials -- offers little basis for optimism.