Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a "go it alone" approach throughout the Ukraine crisis and regularly describes his country as "independent" and nonaligned. But Moscow is not as isolated as Putin makes out. The fact that he cannot see this reality — or chooses to ignore it — has produced a series of decisions that has seriously undermined Russia's global role.
For the past two decades, Moscow has viewed its foray into global institutions as a major success. It has increasingly integrated into the global economy. Those achievements, however, now present Putin with a major dilemma.
In the aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse, Russia signed multiple treaties and joined numerous international organizations, including the Council of Europe, the Group of Seven (which became the G-8) and the World Trade Organization.