For in depth coverage of Western media reaction to Ukrainian Crisis go to the Foreign Media Coverage page of this guide.
These hyperlinks will open webpages or blogs focused on the Ukraine crisis and updated by staff at prominent American think tanks.
The following commentators generally see Vladimir Putin as the culprit in the current crisis and support bolstering Ukrainian prospects through financial aid and sanctions that target Russia.
These critics point to the role of Western policies in exacerbating tensions with Russia over the past decade and leading directly to the present conflict.
Starting in March 2014, the US, the EU, and other Western countries have imposed a range of sanctions targeting the Russian economy, freezing assets belonging to particular individuals, and banning certain business transactions. This section provides links to coverage and analysis of those sanctions and the countermeasures taken by Russian authorities.
Council on Foreign Relations conversation from March 2, 2015 -- John E. Herbst, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and Matthew Rojansky of the Woodrow Wilson Center discuss Ukraine’s politics, policies, and options going forward. They analyze Russian President Putin’s motivations, Ukraine’s internal struggles and reforms, and the role of the United States.
