World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

In President Putin’s most recent press conference he used the word “Novorossiya” (New Russia) to describe what he considered to be the true boundaries of the Russian state.  The term is actually an old one and it refers to the conquest of the territories once held by the Ottoman Empire and conquered largely by Prince Grigory Potemkin and Catherine the great.  If this territory fell under Russian control, Ukraine would lose all access to the Black Sea.

Russia’s actions in Ukraine did not simply appear out of nothing.  US-Russian relations have been frosty for some time, and the US shares a good deal of the blame for the sorry state of affairs.  US policy under Clinton, Bush, and Obama has consistently pursued interests almost independently of Russian concerns.  This assessment does not justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine, but it does place them in a different context.

One of the most urgent issues facing the world is the likely shortage of fresh water in the near future.  South Asia is particularly vulnerable to this issue, and the World Bank estimates that India’s aquifers will reach a critical stage in 20 years.  Virtually every country treats fresh water as a “free” good and the idea that water should be managed is an idea that raises all sorts of concerns about price and control.  Yet it is clear that, unless it is protected, fresh water will become a very scarce commodity.