"What created the new, more aggressive Putin" - a must read [View all]

[orangecrush]

If you want to understand the situation.

At least, I found it eye opening.



(CNN)Russia's buildup of troops at its border with Ukraine has created a diplomatic standoff between Russia and the US, the world's two largest nuclear powers.

For a better understanding of how we got to this point, and what could come next, I talked to Michael Kimmage, a professor at the Catholic University of America. He specializes in US-Russia relations and is a voice for engagement with Russia and a more nuanced view of the country.
Our conversation, conducted by email and lightly edited, is below.
RELATED: The latest on Ukraine and Russia tensions
The difference between now and the Cold War
WHAT MATTERS: Let's start with a very general question. If the Cold War was about US capitalism vs. USSR communism, what is the standoff between Russia and the West about today?
KIMMAGE: It is less sweeping than the Cold War. It is, at its core, a contest for influence in Eastern and Central Europe. The Cold War, by contrast, was defined by the Iron Curtain. The military situation was mostly settled after 1949. That is why ideological conflict (over capitalism and democracy) was so intense; it was the real arena of competition."



https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/12/politics/putin-russia-ukraine-us-what-matters/index.html



Much, much more at link.