The periods following the 1917 Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union offer clues to Putin’s intentions
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/to-tame-russia-look-to-its-imperial-past/article33639351/
http://www.svoboda.org/a/28239215.html
http://ru.krymr.com/a/28239057.html
https://republic.ru/posts/78593
http://www.segodnya.ua/opinion/korsunskicolumn/siriyskiy-gambit-putina-788657.html
http://inopressa.ru/article/17Jan2017/globeandmail/russia.html
http://www.rosbalt.ru/world/2017/01/17/1583514.html
Russian President Vladimir Putin may not have a firm or comprehensive plan for imperial restoration, but he undoubtedly has an abiding inclination to make imperial advances whenever the risk is bearable. And, historically, Russian imperialism has thrived when Europe and the West have been divided.
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/russia-imperialism-eastern-europe-by-carl-bildt-2017-01
http://ru.krymr.com/a/28237611.html
https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2017/01/16_a_10478363.shtml