When the Soviet Union came to an end, so did a vast cooperative network of military bases. Ukraine, along with its autonomously ruled Crimea region, provided vast ring of key sea and air bases. Russia assumed the crown of world recognition (and more importantly, the permanent seat on the UN Security Council), but a separate Ukraine presented reach problems, much as regime changes have wrought problems for US bases found throughout the world. Russia and Ukraine entered into a treaty to solve just that problem, which included paid for leases and rents. Continue reading Crimea Seizure, Putin and EuroMaidan