Washington Times: Collapse of crude oil price could force Putin to surprise the world militarily Russian President Vladimir Putin has surprised the world multiple times in the past several years militarily. His invasion and subsequent annexation of Crimea, combat support of the pro-Russian separatists in East Ukraine, and the landing of an expeditionary force in Syria, cementing a new Russian presence in the Middle East, are some recent examples that caught the West off guard. 2016 could very well bring additional geopolitical surprises from the Kremlin… Collapse of crude oil price could force Putin to surprise the world militarily.