Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 04/2015

The Ukraine-Russia Conflict

Lauren Van Metre, Viola G. Gienger, Kathleen Kuehnast

March 2015

United States Institute of Peace

Abstract

Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its military operations in Eastern Ukraine have overturned the post–Cold War norms that had provided stability and development for the former Soviet countries bordering Russia. As neighboring countries assess their own security situation based on Russia’s aggressive practices in Ukraine and the West’s response, they are actively testing the new contours of Russian and Western engagement, regional alliances and relationships, and regional conflict dynamics.