MOSCOW -- Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula was a "strategic decision," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Nov. 23, brushing aside a suggestion that tough retaliatory sanctions may have come as a surprise.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
Washington Post: Putin says his Crimea annexation was strategic and Russia won’t be isolated
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during his meeting with Russian State Duma deputies in Mria hotel in Yalta on Aug. 14.
