With the annexation of Crimea in March of 2014, the Russian Federation forcefully reasserted itself on the world stage thanks in no small part to the efforts and aspirations of its President, Vladimir Putin. The same has been true in the ongoing Syrian Civil War, where Mr. Putin recently announced Russia would be withdrawing its troops after a surprising intervention five months ago. Both tactical choices indicate that Russia is a country increasingly comfortable reinforcing its new image as a sovereign, global heavyweight at the center of world events.
What is Putin's real foreign policy agenda and what factors have helped enable Russian assertiveness in recent years? Join The City Club of Cleveland, the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, International Partners in Mission, and the Northeast Ohio Consortium for Middle Eastern Studies (NOCMES) for a discussion on Putin's Russia and its role as a geopolitical actor.