title: Strategic Fanaticism
abstract: Abstract This chapter examines how Vladimir Putin strategically pursues control over Ukraine by forcing it into Russia’s sphere of influence. It analyses key decisions, including his 2013 pressure campaign on Viktor Yanukovych to reject an EU association agreement, his 2014 annexation of Crimea, and his orchestration of unrest in the Donbas, each shaping the next stage of conflict. Putin consistently relied on coercion—leveraging economic pressure, military intervention, and disinformation—to ac