The greatest geopolitical catastrophy has been the appointment of Vladimir Putin to succeed Yeltsin as President of Russia. For doubters and appeasers: read the attached Budapest memorandum of 1994 in which Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States confirm the inviolability of Ukraine's borders and its territory in exchange for the de-nuclearisation of Ukraine.
This week Putin celebrated the annexation of the Crimea: that is to say he celebrated a clear and recognized act of aggression against Ukraine and against an agreed memorandum signed by all states mentioned.
The weak reaction against this aggression, a year ago, by the U.S., and the EU, apparently were an open invitation to Putin to continue his aggression against the Ukraine. The two armistices, the second one with Germany and France included among the signatories, may have temporarily postponed further aggression, but not ended it.
The so-called European peace order is in shambles; further appeasement of the French and German kind will not stop further aggression, on the contrary!