This essay examines the Ukrainian Crisis, from the Euromaidan revolution to the annexation of Crimea and the Conflict in the Donbas, paying especial attention to the role of Russia and attempting to shed some light on the reasons driving Russian actions. The essay tries to place those reasons within the wider Russian foreign policy which has been consistent in trying to regain and preserve its weight in the post-soviet space, arguing that the intervention can be understood as a backlash against growing western influence, particularly in the form of NATO and EU membership initiatives. In this sense, the conflict in Georgia serves as clear precedent of the events in Ukraine and helps to understand the confrontational nature of Russo-Western relations. The essay concludes with some suggestions for a different approach to be taken by both Russia and the West.