NATO enlargement, by the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, and the United States support of pro-Western elites in Ukraine and Georgia, make the Russian Federation to consider itself “besieged”, which determines a “pull-out” conduct of this newly created “Rimland” component from the euroatlantic influence, “attracting” it towards the Eurasian sphere of influence.
Given the recent 20 years strategy of Russia, the annexation of Crimea and the Eastern Ukrainian conflict can be seen as part of a larger project aimed at restoring Russia’s strategic influence zone and blocking the planned NATO and EU eastwards expansion. For Russia, maintaining an influence over Ukraine and Georgia, given the Black Sea fleet in port Sevastopol, the Ochanchara naval base (Abkhazia) and the military forces in South Ossetia, is a vital goal.