Traits accompanying Russian aggression abroad

1. “Separatist” movements or pro-Russian groups with ties to the Kremlin.¹

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2000 - Anti-Russian separatists in Chechnya and Dagestan were problematic for Russia. There is no evidence the US supported these groups, and the US did not recognize Chechen independence. Still, the belief that the US armed separatists may partially explain another part of Putin’s methodology. Russia also attempts to co-opt the language of NATO to legitimize its actions.

2. “Threats” to Russian speakers or claims of “genocide” that are not supported by evidence.

1999 - Imitating NATO: A Script Is Adapted for Chechnya.³
2004 - Claims of Russian genocide or “ethnocide” in Ukraine.
2014 - Crying Genocide: Use and Abuse of Political Rhetoric in Russia and Ukraine.
2022 - Putin’s claims that Ukraine is committing genocide are baseless but not unprecedented.

3. Pipeline explosions, specifically those that carry Russian gas to other countries.⁴

Some of these could be legitimate accidents from improperly operated or maintained infrastructure, but

2006 - Explosions in Russia Cut Gas Pipelines to Georgia.
2008 - Raids Suggest Russia Targeted Energy Pipelines.
2014 - Major Ukraine gas pipeline hit by blast.
2022 - Nord Stream blast ‘blew away 50 meters of pipe.

4. Further exploitation related to energy.

Figure 1. Brown, 2019⁵

2009 - Gas crises between Russia and Ukraine
2015 - Russia resumed shipments of natural gas to Ukraine on Tuesday after a six-month shut-off
1995-2015 - Price Manipulations by Russia
2022 - On April 27, Russia cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria in a move the European Commission called “blackmail.”

Summary Timeline of Putin's approval and aggression abroad Fall of Berlin Wall to 2015 from Sen. Hrg. 114-130 Feedback loop infographic Traits accompanying Russian aggression abroad