re: #111 Mattand

Speaking of Russia: what’s their interest in the Ukraine, other than border security? They looking to re-create the USSR? Is their oil pipelines or some other resource to be had?

There is the traditional “sphere of influence” concerns, but Russia ships natural gas to Europe via pipelines running through Ukraine. Russia also still bases ships out of Sevastopol in the Crimea. Lastly is the fact that most of the population of the eastern part of Ukraine is ethnic Russian.