USA Today quotes Brent Scowcroft Center Senior Fellow Ian Brzezinski on challenges facing the ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists:
European leaders are unlikely to be naive about Putin’s “rhetorical commitment” to de-escalate the crisis when they review the situation Friday, but his declarations may prompt fewer sanctions for Russia, said Ian Brzezinski, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Europe and NATO policy under former president George W. Bush.
“He’s doing things that are easy to give hope in Europe and the West that he’s backing off,” Brzezinski said. “That makes it more difficult for them to clamp down with more severe sanctions.”