Let me make clear that there is absolutely no justification for the actions Russia has taken with respect to Ukraine. I think that has to be the starting point for any strategy we develop in concert with our allies. The behaviour of the Government of Russia toward Crimea and toward Ukraine more generally is simply unacceptable and illegitimate. We consider it illegitimate and unacceptable, regardless of what was driving that decision. That's why I started with the behaviour, not the motives.
Is it credible, Mr. Anderson, that there are in fact...? We in the academic community who study this kind of behaviour would talk about defensive motives versus offensive motives. And yes, that is credible. I can't tell you it's true, and it doesn't justify the behaviour, but it is credible.
We heard from the Government of Russia, especially after the operation in Libya, that the Russian government felt misled, that it had authorized an operation that then went far beyond what was authorized, that it felt the promises that were made were not kept. This has been a consistent theme, along with a significant proportion of the Russian elite who look back to the Soviet Union with nostalgia and bemoan the break up of the Soviet Union.
Those currents are present in Russia; there's no doubt about it. Again, they don't justify the behaviour, but once we understand that they're present—they're present in the press, they're present among people who are advising the current President of Russia—I think it's important we avoid any unnecessary humiliation as we move forward with sanctions if this behaviour continues. It's that point that I'm making.