How Russia’s grab of Crimea 10 years ago led to war with Ukraine and rising tensions with the West

By The Associated Press

A decade ago, President Vladimir Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine, a bold land grab that set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022. The quick and bloodless seizure of the diamond-shaped peninsula, home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet and a popular vacation site, touched off a wave of patriotism and sent Putin’s popularity soaring. Now that he has swept to another six-year term as president, Putin is determined to extend those gains in Ukraine amid Russia’s battlefield successes and waning Western support for Kyiv. While Putin is vague about his goals in the war, some of his top lieutenants still talk of capturing Kyiv and cutting Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea.