I just finished reading the most sensible appraisal of what drives those who command Russia that I have seen. Written for Real Clear Defense, it argues Russia is best understood as an empire with top down leadership using compulsion to make it work. Its enduring drive is expansion, with everything else subordinate to that urge.
The author harks back to the analysis of George Keenan who held that the only way to deal with Russia is containment via military force. I find the reasoning displayed in this column persuasive, see what you think of it.
