ASSESSMENTS

Ukraine Finds Its Military Options Limited

Mar 2, 2014 | 19:02 GMT

A Ukrainian soldier stands behind the gate of a Crimean military base that was surrounded by Russian forces March 2.

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Summary

Kiev ordered a military mobilization and called up reservists nationwide March 2, a day after Russia's upper house of parliament approved Russian President Vladimir Putin's request to send troops into Ukraine. But the Ukrainian military finds itself in a weak state of readiness at a time when its country needs it the most. That and Western reluctance to get involved militarily will make Kiev hesitant to provoke the Russians by using military force.

Ukraine's current military weakness and the limited Western appetite to escalate militarily have allowed Moscow to move....

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