Russia’s strategy right now has very little to do with Ukraine itself. Sure, keeping its neighbour destabilised maintains Ukraine’s value to Moscow as a buffer zone. But Moscow could have conducted a full military invasion of Ukraine long ago had it wanted to; if it hasn’t, it’s probably because Russia’s economy would not stand the strains of occupying a nation of 43 million people.
Vladimir Putin keeps the West in focus. AP
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Elizabeth Buchanan is adjunct fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and non-resident fellow of the Modern War Institute at West Point Military Academy
