Briefly a nuclear power, Ukraine in retrospect seems to have made a major tactical mistake. By giving up its weapons and relying on U.S. protection, the former Soviet republic finds itself once again caught in the wheels of history, staring down a Russian invasion.

Ukrainian legislator Pavlo Rizanenko sums up the Crimea crisis: "If you have nuclear weapons, people don't invade you."

Click HERE to read an exclusive analysis by LIGNET's top intelligence experts.