Ukraine is at nearly war. The war began in Kyiv on the Maidan in February, when Yanukovych's pro-Russian snipers cut down as many as 100 protesters. Then Crimea, which Putin 'won' but will eventually regret winning. The cost will be long-term and high.

The reemerging cold war between Washington and Moscow centers on the fundamental disagreements over Ukraine. But it would be a mistake to pin all the responsibility for the downturn in relations on the Euromaidan protests.

As Obama accomplished something quite real in the Asia-Pacific his administration and the European Union pursued something unreal, announcing new sanctions against individual Russians for their involvement in Russia's strategy to foment discord in Ukraine and keep that nation, which is only a few hundred miles from Moscow, out of NATO.

The U.S. should tone down the rhetoric and concentrate on the core issues for worldwide peace and accept the Crimean reality. The solution will evolve slowly, if we let it.

Blake Fleetwood

Former reporter for the New York Times and Daily News; taught Political Science at NYU

Global demands and realities weaken the ineffective U.S. sanctions against Russia while Washington needs Moscow's cooperation on Afghanistan.

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