President Vladimir Putin put the annexation of Crimea on a fast track Tuesday morning, ordering the drafting of an accession agreement between Crimea and Russia.
Later in the day he will be making an unusual address to a joint session of the Russian parliament, where he will lay out his plans for the region.
The speech comes as a defiant Russia shows no sign of bending to American or European pressure over the Crimea crisis, which has turned into the sharpest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
All I hear from people is “it’s not our problem.” Isolationism is back with a vengeance.
And I can’t help but feel that the residue of past BRAC closures with the fire-sale of land and facilities, and the cashed out “peace dividend,” are left on the table for our kids to clean up… because the world is just full of good will. No one should sit around waiting to fight the last war again, but one had better hope the clock doesn’t run out when you’re getting ready for the one on the doorstep.