Ukraine: how to close the door on Putin
For reasons I cannot now recall excatly, possibly his writing before the Cold War ended, I read what Timothy Garton-Ash says on Eastern Europe and Russia:http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...-europe-russia
The sub-title is rather ambitiious I fear for Europe, at least it is a coherent package:
Quote:
Europe can resolve this crisis and counter Russia’s aggression, but it needs a clear 10-year plan
A sample passage:
Quote:
To have a plan, we Europeans must know what we are responding to. This is difficult, since Putin is in the erratic, hubristic mental state typical of your late-period autocrat. Nonetheless, my best guess is that what he currently aims to do is to keep southeastern Ukraine in such a state of turmoil, divided power and Russian influence that the country as a whole cannot consolidate its position as a sovereign, functioning state – let alone move closer to the EU and Nato. Crucial to this strategy is a porous Russian-Ukrainian frontier, through which Russian arms and agitators can move at will.