Bloomberg: for the year the West has not punished Putin for the occupation of the Crimea

According to the author, the Russian president changed his story about the seizure of the Ukrainian Peninsula because the West has not punished him for an international violation of the rules for a whole year. Although the statements of the EU and the United States were categorical and tough.

“The economic sanctions introduced have caused insufficient discomfort to Putin’s friends. Putin himself continued his invasion of Ukraine, allegedly realizing that Western leaders would not lift a finger to stop him,” the article says.

Bershidsky believes that after Maidan in Kiev, Ukrainian and Western leaders had the opportunity to agree with Russia that at least there would be a military base in Crimea, as well as to guarantee Moscow participation in negotiations on the association of Ukraine with the EU. But this moment was missed.

“Putin took aggressive steps that, in his opinion, were to protect the interests of his country. The West did not react decisively to this, and Putin became an outspoken and unceremonious enemy. But sanctions and the fall in oil prices have not weakened him enough for him to want to retreat,” the author writes, adding that this is why the Russian president considers the annexation of Crimea his merit and decides to openly declare his role in this process.

Journalist Elena Rikovtseva in her article for Radio Liberty concluded that Russian intelligence services essentially had to catch Yanukovich in the east of Ukraine for his further isolation so that he would not prevent Putin from carrying out the plan to annex Crimea. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice also examines Putin’s statements about the annexation of the Crimea.