Putin is using Ukraine to split the US and the EU because an enemy divided is easy to vanquish. The EU (which means Merkel because there isn’t anybody else there with any power to formulate a coherent policy) doesn’t want any real sanctions against Russia to be introduced because it’s dependent on Russia’s gas. So Merkel is simpering, wiggling, and jumping out of her shoes to please Putin.
And the US can’t introduce any serious sanctions against the will of the EU because it will anger Merkel. And if Europe doesn’t support the US, then who does?
While all of this is happening, Putin is enjoying the situation and rightfully taking pride in being the only player with a consistent, coherent policy.
Clarissa's Blog 
Welcome to the brave new world of globalization. It is impossible to apply serious sanctions to a country that is a) large and b) not isolated, but has wide network of economic connections. One cannot introduce more than symbolic sanctions against the US, or EU, or China, or Russia. Putin does not have to do anything to make it so, “the hand of the market” does it for him, but he surely is happy that everything is working this way.
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Clarissa, what it’s about “Gazprom Kills Gas Supply to Ukraine”?
I also was very interested in the article:
A World Reimagined
Why 1814 should tell us more than 1914 about 2014.
http://www.the-american-interest.com/articles/2014/06/16/a-world-reimagined/
You linked once to the site and now I enjoy checking it out. May be,.there are other news sites with interesting analysis in English or Russian that you frequent?
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