Putin’s Ukraine gamble

Nov 30, 2018
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Russia has been waging low-intensity war against Ukraine for over four years.

During that time, Moscow has endeavored to disguise its role in the struggle, using cutouts — “little green men” who had no obvious ties to Russia but enjoyed its support — and tactics — cyberattacks and economic pressure — that fall short of open conflict.

Russia shed the fig leaf last weekend when it seized three Ukrainian Navy ships in the Kerch Strait that links the Azov and Black seas.

The move is a challenge not just to the government of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, but to the West: It is no coincidence that the incident occurred days before Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Group of 20 summit in Argentina. It must be met with steely determination.
Baldly stated, Russia seeks a sphere of influence in Eastern and Central Europe. It believes that countries on its periphery, and especially those that were part of the Soviet imperium, should be responsive to Russian interests and respect its concerns.

Christmas Eve marks the 50th anniversary of “Earthrise,” one of the first photos ever taken of our entire planet. Shot by the crew of the Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the moon, it was a stunning and unexpected holiday present. Even the crew of the space craft, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders, were unprepared for what they witnessed. They had spent the better part of the day taking photos of the moon’s surface when Borman turned the spaceship to look at the horizon. The astronauts’ reaction was awe. Anders shouted, “Oh my God, look at that picture over there. Here’s the Earth coming up,” and they grabbed their cameras to take those first remarkable shots, first in black and then quickly in color.
The world’s reaction was also awe. Set against a vast and never-ending backdrop of darkness, the photo of our little blue-and-green planet confirmed something different for each person who viewed it: For some, it confirmed that the Earth was actually round, for others their notion of infinity, and for others still it confirmed the existence of God.