title: From the Bear's Mouth: Analyzing Vladimir Putin's Rhetoric and Its Implications for Russian Grand Strategy
abstract: Abstract : Since Vladimir Putin was elected president in 2000, Russia has experienced a dramatic resurgence on the international stage. Concurrent with Russias rise, animosity between Russia and the West has risen. When Russian troops seized Crimea in 2014, the West expressed surprise, outrage, and concern at Putins blatant disregard for Ukrainian sovereignty and international law. Former Sovietologists were thrust back into the mainstream and everyone wanted to know what Vladimir Putin wanted. 