▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁situation ▁where ▁he ▁" anne x ed ▁Crime a , ▁but ▁lost ▁Ukraine ", ▁and ▁prov oked ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁c aut ious ▁approach ▁to ▁Russia ▁among ▁other ▁post - S ov iet ▁countries . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Put in ▁stated : ▁" Pe ople ▁who ▁have ▁their ▁own ▁views ▁on ▁history ▁and ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁our ▁country ▁may ▁argue ▁with ▁me , ▁but ▁it ▁seems ▁to ▁me ▁that ▁the ▁Russian ▁and ▁Ukrain ian ▁pe op les ▁are ▁pract ically ▁one ▁people ". ▁After ▁making ▁a ▁similar ▁statement , ▁in ▁late ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁he ▁stated : ▁" the ▁Ukrain ian ▁culture , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Ukrain ian ▁literature , ▁surely ▁has ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁its ▁own ". ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Georg ian ▁President ▁Mik he il ▁Sa ak ash v ili ▁attempted ▁to ▁restore ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁break away ▁South ▁Os set ia . ▁However , ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁military ▁was ▁soon ▁defeated ▁in ▁the ▁resulting ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁South ▁Os set ia ▁War ▁after ▁regular ▁Russian ▁forces ▁entered ▁South ▁Os set ia ▁and ▁then ▁Georgia ▁proper , ▁then ▁also ▁opened ▁a ▁second ▁front ▁in ▁the ▁other ▁Georg ian ▁break away ▁province ▁of ▁Ab kh az ia ▁with ▁Ab kh az ian ▁forces . ▁ ▁Despite ▁existing ▁or ▁past ▁t ensions ▁between ▁Russia ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁post - S ov iet ▁states , ▁Put in ▁has ▁followed ▁the ▁policy ▁of