Can we talk intelligently about Russia and Ukraine?

[jakeXT]

14. I'm reminded of the Wolfowitz doctrine, PNAC and The Grand Chessboard

“Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere, that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfowitz_Doctrine

“However, if Moscow regains control over Ukraine, with its 52 million people and major resources as well as access to the Black Sea, Russia automatically again regains the wherewithal to become a powerful imperial state, spanning Europe and Asia.”
http://books.google.com/books?isbn=0465004342