 | Roots of Russia''s War in Ukraine Subjects: Ukraine Conflict 2014– -- Causes; Ukraine -- Foreign relations -- Russia (Federation); Russia (Federation) -- Foreign relations -- Ukraine; In February 2014, Russia initiated a war in Ukraine, its reasons for aggression unclear. Each of this volume's authors offers a distinct interpretation of Russia's motivations, untangling the social, historical, and political factors that created this war and continually reignite its tensions. What prompted President Vladimir Putin to send troops into Crimea? Why did the conflict spread to eastern Ukraine with Russian support? What does the war say about Russia's political, economic, and social priorities, and how does the crisis expose differences between the EU and Russia regarding international jurisdiction? Did Putin's obsession with his macho image start this war, and is it preventing its resolution? The exploration of these and other questions gives historians, political watchers, and theorists a solid grasp of the events that have destabilized the region. Elizabeth A. Wood is professor of Russian and Soviet history at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was a fellow at the Wilson Center in 2015. William E. Pomeranz is deputy director of the Kennan Institute, the Wilson Center's program for Russian and post-Soviet studies. E. Wayne Merry is Senior Fellow for Europe and Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council. He served for six years as a U.S. diplomat at the American embassy in Moscow. Maxim Trudolyubov is editor-at-large with Vedomosti , a Russian-language business daily. He also writes for the International New York Times and was a Wilson Center fellow from 2014 to 2015. |
