The Russian president is a product of the 20th century KGB. He knows that subversion is much cheaper than invasion. "There is a battle for Ukraine, but it's not going to be on a military battlefield," Hill told me. "It's going to be a game of wits. The question is: Can we outsmart Putin?" And, even more difficult, outsmart him on his own turf?
What Putin wants, and how he plans to get it Sunday April 20 th , 2014 at 8:13 AM 1 Share It was tempting to look at last week's diplomatic agreement to pull Ukraine back from the brink of war and see the beginning of a grand compromise between Russia and the West. Tempting, but mistaken. Vladimir Putin is still winning most of what he wants in Ukraine, and he's winning it more cheaply and more elegantly than he would by launching a full-scale military invasion. Last week's agreement, which called on pro-Russia militias to end their occupation of government buildings, was probably only a speed bump on the way toward bringing all of Ukraine under Moscow's influence. That's not only the view of seasoned Russia watchers; it's also the fear of many officials inside the Obama administration. President Obama could use a diplomatic win, but there wasn't a shred of triumphalism — or even optimism — in his descriptio