The Russian Invasion of the Crimean Peninsula, 2014-2015: A Post-Cold War Nuclear Crisis Case Study

The Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea was a crisis that heightened tensions between the world's two largest nuclear powers - the Russian Federation and the United States. Despite explicit nuclear posturing, the episode in Crimea is often overlooked as a nuclear crisis, being instead considered a crisis between Russia and Ukraine. But when analyzed as a confrontation between Russia and the United States, the invasion of Crimea points to notable implications for the nuclear balance, resolve, and crisis management. Ukraine's removal of Yanukovych from office saw Russia take immediate military action to invade and occupy the Crimean Peninsula. In response, the United States sought to maintain Ukraine's territorial integrity. The crisis held a grave importance for Russia, which viewed it less as a fight against Ukraine and more as a confrontation with the West over ground that held deep military, national, cultural, and symbolic significance. Russia's military gains on the ground were maintained throughout the crisis under its threats to use nuclear weapons or deploy nuclear weapons to the peninsula. Meanwhile, despite public disagreement among US policy and military leaders, the United States' responses remained diplomatic and economic.