(no subject)

Although Vladimir Putin’s denials of Russian troop presence are farcical, the true extent of Russian involvement remains unclear. A full-scale invasion would probably include more than a few thousand troops—NATO officials say as many as 20,000 troops are poised at the border. For now, Mr Putin appears determined not to bear responsibility for a war that has killed nearly 2,600 people, most of them civilians. He continues to funnel his fighters and weapons to the rebel army in an effort to create a frozen conflict as he has done elsewhere, in the hope that he can one day insert “Novorossiya" into his new map of the world.

- See more at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/08/economist-explains-21?fsrc=nlw|newe|1-09-2014|5356cdbb899249e1ccc9aaec|#sthash.2YHd4VI4.dpuf