"Allah only knows why they did it. And probably, Allah has decided to punish the ruling clique in Turkey by taking their mind and reason."
So said Russian leader Vladimir Putin in his state of the nation speech on TV in December, after Turkey shot down a Russian jet on the Turkey-Syria border. "If anyone thinks Russia's reaction will be limited to trade sanctions, they're deeply mistaken," he added. His 7,584-word speech didn't mention "Ukraine" once.
In September, when Putin fir...
Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a member for as low as €1,75 per week.
Already a member? LoginAndrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.
Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.