Even if Putin can't bring Ukraine in, he'd like to keep it out of the European Union, which he sees as an extension of a century-old Western conspiracy against

Even if Putin can't bring Ukraine in, he'd like to keep it out of the European Union, which he sees as an extension of a century-old Western conspiracy against Russia. It's no secret that U.S. foreign policy is guided by The Grand Chessboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Chessboard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grand_Chessboard U.S. control over Ukraine would be a checkmate in controlling Europe and the middle east. I hate to use the old adage, but this crisis presents a real opportunity. Russia and the EU could work together to sort this out instead of remaining divided. I don't see why the US has a say in the destiny of a country that's divided between Russia and the rest of Europe.