On the 30th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s disintegration, governments around the world are fixated on tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine. It is no secret that Moscow is prepared to take fresh steps to consolidate Russian influence over former Soviet territories.

Within the context of the latest developments, the Kremlin demands a written guarantee from NATO, whereby the organization would terminate its military activities in Central and Eastern Europe, and shut the door on Ukraine and other future members. In other words, Russia considers Ukraine’s potential admission to NATO a “national security” issue. As such, it expects to “permanently and irreversibly” revise the balance of power between Russia and the West. Moscow, whose demands regarding Eastern Europe and Ukraine have not been met, now threatens to deploy troops to Cuba and Venezuela. Diplomatic talks in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna have failed. All eyes are now on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Read more on our English web site: Putin compels the Western alliance.