What is Putin’s Plan?

Russia’s annexation of Crimea, violations of human rights, their military support of Assad’s army in Syria and alleged interference with the election of the new President of the United States have all contributed to growing tensions between Russia and the West.

Both the EU and USA have issued sanctions against Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. These were some of the most wide-ranging sanctions used on Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union, but have they had the desired effect?

What is Putin’s plan, what might be the consequences of the Russian strategy and how should the West respond?

Julie Wilhelmsen
is a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. She holds a PhD in political science and conducts research in the fields of critical security studies, Russian foreign and security policies and the radicalisation of Islam in Eurasia.

Terje Knutsen
is Associate Professor at the Department of Comparative Politics at the University of Bergen. He has specialised in East European, Russian and European politics.

Åse Gilje Østensen
is a postdoctoral researcher at CMI and breakfast forum host at Bergen Resource Centre.

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Photo: kremlin.ru/press/photo