July 15, 2015

Russian Motives: An Essay Exploring Russia’s Approach to Crimea and Eastern Ukraine

At the time of writing this report, Benjamin F. Cumbo IV was a Joseph S. Nye, Jr. National Security Intern with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). He hoped to move from CNAS into the intelligence community. He was finalizing this essay during his last weeks.

In his report, Mr. Cumbo examines how Russia sees its territorial aggression in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. He recommends that the United States and NATO should work together to exploit the weaknesses of the Russian military and 'tread lightly' with regards to the crisis in Ukraine. Senior Fellow Robert D. Kaplan provides a brief foreword highlighting Mr. Cumbo's understanding of Russia's recent aggression.

Authors

Benjamin Cumbo

Former Intern, Energy, Economics and Security Program

Mr. Cumbo was a Joseph S. Nye Jr. National Security Intern with the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) for the Energy, Economics, and Security program. Prior to joini...
Robert D. Kaplan

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Robert D. Kaplan is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, originally joining the Center in March 2008. He is the bestselling author of eighteen b...

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