When Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down to plot his invasion of Ukraine in February 2014, he didn't have to start from scratch. Generations of Russian rulers have invaded Ukrainian lands to starve, deport and enslave the native populations, and Putin has drawn avidly from their playbooks. Ukraine's oligarchs have been equally ruthless in despoiling the country, some even funding the very rebels who'd like to conquer it. Here's a rundown of those who have done the most to devastate Ukraine.
POLITICO: The Dirty Dozen. 12 people who ruined Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin reacts as he meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 21, 2015.
