, ▁acc using ▁it ▁of ▁breaking ▁international ▁law ▁and ▁of ▁viol ating ▁Ukrain ian ▁so vere ig nt y . ▁Many ▁countries ▁implemented ▁economic ▁san ctions ▁against ▁Russia , ▁Russian ▁individuals ▁or ▁companies ▁to ▁which ▁Russia ▁respond ed ▁in ▁kind . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁reported ▁that ▁Russia ▁had ▁re deploy ed ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁el ite ▁units ▁from ▁Ukraine ▁to ▁Sy ria ▁in ▁recent ▁weeks ▁to ▁support ▁Sy rian ▁President ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Russian ▁Federation ▁President ▁Put in ▁admitted ▁that ▁Russian ▁military ▁intelligence ▁officers ▁were ▁operating ▁in ▁Ukraine . ▁ ▁Many ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁international ▁community ▁assumed ▁that ▁Put in ' s ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Crime a ▁had ▁initi ated ▁a ▁completely ▁new ▁kind ▁of ▁Russian ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁They ▁took ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Crime a ▁to ▁mean ▁that ▁his ▁foreign ▁policy ▁had ▁shift ed ▁" from ▁state - dri ven ▁foreign ▁policy " ▁to ▁taking ▁an ▁off ensive ▁st ance ▁to ▁re - create ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁However , ▁this ▁policy ▁shift ▁can ▁be ▁understood ▁as ▁Put in ▁trying ▁to ▁defend ▁nations ▁in ▁Russia ' s ▁sphere ▁of ▁influence ▁from ▁enc ro aching ▁western ▁power . ▁While ▁the ▁act ▁to ▁an nex ▁the ▁Crime a ▁was ▁bold ▁and ▁dr astic , ▁his ▁" new " ▁foreign ▁policy ▁may ▁have ▁more ▁similar ities ▁to ▁his ▁older ▁policies . ▁ ▁Inter vention ▁in ▁Sy ria ▁▁ ▁On ▁ 3