Ukraine, a new and important space on the Eurasian chessboard, is a geopolitical pivot because its very existence as an independent country helps to transform Russia. Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire . ..
However, if Moscow regains control over Ukraine, with its 52 million people and major resources as well as access to the Black Sea, Russia automatically again regains the wherewithal to become a powerful imperial state, spanning Europe and Asia. . . .
. . .it is imperative that no Eurasian challenger emerges, capable of dominating Eurasia and thus also of challenging America . . .
Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Chessboard