WHY PUTIN IS CAUSING WAR IN UKRAINE
Most wars result from at least one side overestimating its chances of success and one or more of the sides not having a clear "endgame."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has a clear goal, which can be discerned from his own statements and actions, and from discussions with those who know him well. It is to leave as his legacy the re-establishment of the Russian Empire.
The Russian Empire existed from 1721, when Peter the Great proclaimed it, until its collapse in 1917. At its high point in 1866, the Russian Empire included all of modern-day Russia plus Alaska, Finland, the Baltic nations, much of present-day Poland, parts of other Eastern European countries, the Central Asia "Stans," part of Mongolia, and the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Mr. Putin, a master of strategy and timing, sees that he has a 2-year window of opportunity to grab or control much of the former Russian Empire. He correctly sees President Obama as weak and indecisive, and hence unwilling to stand in his way -- giving him a window before Americans likely elect a stronger president.
And he must start in Ukraine. Here is why.