Work Urges 'Strong and Balanced' Approach to Resurgent Russia: "I think that the biggest part of Russian resurgence was the rise in oil prices, and this settled their economy that went through such a wrenching disruption in the 1990s — began to settle, so that there was economic stability and a growth in Russia they had not seen in the '90s. Now that was coupled by President Putin who believed, rightly or wrongly, that NATO and the United States were disregarding Russian vital interests. He said, I don't want to tolerate this anymore. I want to regain the prestige that Russia had as a world power in the Cold War. Now some people believe that it is really focused on Putin. I believe there is as likely a case that Putin merely reflects what many of the Russian itelligencia and public believe."
Work Urges 'Strong and Balanced' Approach to Resurgent Russia Saturday September 19 th , 2015 at 12:34 PM 1 Share Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, second from left, meets with Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide, second from right, in Oslo on Sept. 8. (Photo: Glenn Fawcett/Office of the Secretary of Defen) LONDON — Russia’s provocative actions have many western countries on edge, few more so than the Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. To sound out those nations, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work traveled earlier this month to the region and met with his counterparts from all five countries. He also met with UK and US military officials and, throughout the trip, discussed and listened to reports about what the Russians have been doing. But the primary questions remain: What are Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goals? How far will Russia go? After Putin’s actions in Crimea and easter