.... “Putin has imperial ambitions motivated by his pathological insecurities in a quest to restore lost glories.” Where’s the evidence to support this allegation? Russia can no more support quixotic imperial adventures than the U.S. can afford another Iraq or Afghanistan. Even a peaceful joining of Crimea to Russia is going to cost Russia quite a lot. Putin’s clear aim was to secure the Black Sea ports when it appeared that Ukraine might join NATO. Putin’s aim was not imperial extension but the maintenance of a neighboring region in its orbit against western advances....