Russia has the ability to control Ukraine's economic future because of the natural gas pipeline link. And as a result, that means that Russia has just all along been in a stronger bargaining position.

I think Russia must have been very embarrassed by Syria's use of chemical weapons because it really undercut Putin's role back in 2013 in saying he had helped get rid of Syria's weapons.

I'm not sure about whether Ukraine will ever be joining. As long as there's a frozen conflict on Ukrainian territory, they can't possibly join. And that's probably one of the reasons why Vladimir Putin is interested in having a frozen conflict there, so that there is no border security.

I don't think that we're necessarily going to see the U.S. and Russia becoming out and out military competitors against each other.

Putin is somebody who really respects strength.

It is clear that there would nothing a U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Syria because Syria is Russia's ally, and Russia has a veto in the U.N. Security Council.

We have to be concerned that Russia is also increasing its military influence in Egypt, potentially in Libya, also in Afghanistan.