The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

The Year Vladimir Putin Tore Up the Rule Book Friday December 12 th , 2014  at  3:15 PM NDTV News - Top Stories 1 Share Moscow, Russia:   For years he played the part of the frosty pragmatist, doggedly set on restoring pride and power to a once-great superpower. Then, on February 27, 2014, President Vladimir Putin went rogue. The decision to send unidentified soldiers into Ukraine's Crimean peninsula leading to its annexation by Russia was far more than an act of aggression against a recalcitrant neighbour. It marked a direct assault on the foundations of an international system that has largely held since the end of World War II -- reviving the idea of territorial conquest that most had consigned to the historical dustbin. Putin upended the global rules with considerable chutzpah, sowing just enough uncertainty to keep the world unsure of his intentions or his next move -- or whether he had even done anything wrong in the first place.