Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has established a new reality with troops loyal to Moscow on the ground in Crimea. Is the strategy aimed at expanding his power or are the lives of ethnic Russians really in danger? The Kremlin says the West supported the overthrow of Ukraine’s previous government. Is Putin disregarding the interests of a sovereign state or are his actions justified? And how far is Putin prepared to go?

Guests:

Markus Kaim- After graduating in political science, Markus Kaim went to Washington on a fellowship. In 2007 he went to Toronto as a guest lecturer having worked since 2005 for the Research Division "International Security" at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Today he's the head of that division.

Anna Rose - began writing articles for a number of newspapers while studying Journalism at Moscow State University. In 1997 she moved to Germany, where she worked as a freelance journalist. Since 2005 she is the Germany-correspondent for the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, and contributed articles to Novye Izvestiya, Profil and The New Times, as well as for the online-site Slon.

Nataliya Schapeler- is a European research specialist from the Ukraine. She studied in Kiev, Fulda and at Dublin’s University College. She has worked as a project manager at the center for OSCE-research and an independent consultant at the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).
Read more: http://www.dw.de/program/quadriga/s-7296-9798