Putin's Crimea Annexation: Maidan, Ukraine and Russia's Costs

Mr. Putin made this decision around Crimea,

uh, and Ukraine,

not because of some grand strategy, but essentially because he was

caught,

uh, off balance by,

uh, the protests in the Maidan and, uh, Yanukovych then fleeing

after we had brokered a deal, uh, to transition power in

Ukraine. Uh, since that time,

this improvisation that he's been doing is getting...

uh, has gotten him deeper and deeper into, uh, a

situation that is a violation of international law.

The, the annexation of Crimea,

uh, is a cost, not a benefit to Russia.

Uh, the, the days in which conquest of land

somehow was a formula for great nation status is over.

The, the, the power of countries today are,

is measured by your knowledge,

your skills, your ability to, uh, export goods,

to invent, uh, new products and new services, your, uh,

your influence