Putin, Contrary to Earlier Assertions, Suggests Planning to Seize Crimea Started in Early 2014 - NYTimes.com
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/world/europe/putin-contrary-to-earlier-assertions-suggests-planning-to-seize-crimea-star
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has publicly indicated for the first time that military planning to seize Crimea started well before the referendum there on the issue, which he had cited previously as the main reason for Russia’s annexation.
Mr. Putin said he made the decision around 7 a.m. on Feb. 23, 2014, after an all-night emergency meeting with his security chiefs on the crisis in Ukraine. Viktor F. Yanukovych had just been deposed as president of Ukraine, and the meeting was called to discuss his rescue, Mr. Putin said.
Russia has long contended that it acted spontaneously to reclaim Crimea, mainly to protect Russian speakers who it said had been threatened, and to stave off what it suspected was an attempt by NATO to colonize the Black Sea.
Une bonne partie de la presse reprend cette « révélation ».
Mais qu’apprend-on, au fond ? Que V. V. Poutine n’a pas attendu très longtemps après le putsch renversant Ianoukovytch, et ce malgré l’accord politique obtenu le jour même pour un gouvernement de transition, pour identifier les tireurs de ficelles et en tirer les conséquences stratégiques…
Le reste, que c’est un remarquable tacticien capable d’exploiter au mieux les faiblesse de ses adversaires, on le savait déjà.
