Vladimir Putin has marshaled tens of thousands of Russian troops and tanks at Ukraine’s border in anticipation of a threatened invasion.

With his dream of a reunited USSR, Putin has brought the Ukrainian situation to a boiling point. His immediate aim is to seize territory — an objective he has long pursued with his actions in Crimea and the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. In the grander scheme, however, he hopes to divide the powers of NATO and the European Union through his provocation while restoring Russia’s long-lost international esteem. But a Russian invasion of Ukraine, far from returning Russia to greatness, could well backfire.
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