Official statements, interviews and comments from some members of the Russian government and military top brass on the Ukraine crisis denote the use of the “carrot and stick” in the Kremlin’s policy. Moscow claims, for example, that the Minsk II agreement represents the best way forward, while the continual breaches of the February ceasefire, tactical skirmishes and testing of Ukrainian defenses combined with the Russian “snap exercises” and rumors of a possible “large-scale” invasion show another side to this approach. In all these maneuvers, President Vladimir Putin maintains escalation dominance, outplays his Western opponents, and seems to be gaining increasing …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation
