Robert Gates: “Putin believes it's his destiny to recreate the Russian empire.”

He's going to insist on occupying all four of the eastern provinces of the Donbas.

I think the president is — based on what I read — is getting the sense that, as he put it, that Putin is 'tapping' him along.

I think that it's still a problem for the Saudis.

Putin feels that he has a destiny to recreate the Russian Empire.