Why Russia no Longer Fears the West by Ben Judah: Linked Article

This article provides an overview about why the author thinks Russia no longer fears the West and grabbed Crimea. Although the author could be right, that his vision or interpretation explains why what actually happened took place, he could also be wrong. The drawback of the article is that it only provides a slight mix of facts and relies instead on one possible story that could explain them. There is no comparative analysis, testing against other possible explanations. Its interesting to read, but likely incorrect; there are lots of other plausible and possible reasons for the grab other than this story. For example, the Georgia conflict alone cited in the article is far more nuanced and involves many other factors that could explain what took place other than simply testing the West's reaction in 2008.