Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Stephen Sestanovich: From Putin, a new tune on Ukraine?
Pro-Russian separatist fighters are silhouetted against the sky as they stand on their vehicles near Makiivka on April 21, 2015 in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). A Ukrainian soldier was killed on the frontline in fighting with pro-Russian separatists in the east, the army said on April 21, its first fatality in nearly a week as shelling rumbles on despite a ceasefire deal. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN
Vladimir Putin’s annual call-in show is not where I usually look for important statements of Russian policy. Most of the four-hour event is devoted to semi-comical political pandering (Mr. Putin presenting himself as the friend of struggling dairy farmers, for example). Still, last week’s extravaganza contained unmistakable hints of a new line on Ukraine. To cope with Russian policy in this next phase, Western governments should be ready for a Putin who is more bored than bellicose toward Ukraine.
