2014
Crimea was historically Russia, Catherine the Great had a throne in Crimea, the people speak Russian, they fly Russian flags, the Russian fleet for the Black Sea is based in Crimea, the Ukraine government was moving toward the West and NATO. What would you do if you were Putin?
When I was in Crimea a few months ago this was all made clear to us. We were even shown still respected statues of Lenin and former Soviet submarine bases.
So, the question is why didn’t the US and Europe have all this figured out before Putin acted? Why didn’t they anticipate and adjust, negotiate and talk in advance? Why did we give Putin a cause that greatly enhanced his popularity in Russia and position on the world stage ? Putin may have acted illegally, but he successfully outmaneuvered the US which cannot and will do nothing major in response. Putin may have lost in the long run by losing credibility outside Russia and by clearly illustrating why Russia cannot be a great nation in the true sense, but he doesn’t care.
Was the US too busy resetting our relationship with Russia? It seems to me this is a major failure in US foreign policy and diplomacy.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Our leadership was told this would happen before the Games ended in SOCHI. As what usually happens with these people, they figure only they understand the world. I have been all over the world, and this is the worse I have seen our Nation. The people in Ukraine, my wife’s family will suffer for this. Putin will not stop until there is a boot on his neck.
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agreed……to many “inexperienced light weights”running not only domestic but foreign policy as well. just another example of how un-exceptional and inept putin sees the president and the usa. the irony here is that it is putin working and in control of the”re-set” button…not obama!
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