Vladimir Putin says he is a religious man, a great supporter of the Russian Orthodox Church. If so, he may well go to bed each night, say his prayers and ask God: "Wy didn't you put some mountains in Ukraine?" If God had built mountains in Ukraine, then the great expanse of flatland that is the North European Plain would not be such encouraging territory from which to attack Russia repeatedly. And if Russia wants to be a world power, it must have a navy. And if its ports freeze for six months each year then it must have access to a warm water port - hence, the annexation of Crimea was the only option for Putin.
All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to understand world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements ... but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture. To get the full picture, get yourself a copy of Tim Marshall's "Prisoners of Geography - Ten Maps That Explain Everything About The World". I just did!
P.S. I've just discovered Tim Marshall's sequel "The Power of Geography". Listened to a sample of the audiobook and am tempted to order it and the hardcover book.
