Commentaries. Opinions, And Editorials -- March 31, 2014

Why Annexing Crimea May Prove Costly For Russia -- Isa Soares, CNN

(CNN) -- Crimeans voted to break off from Ukraine and join Russia. Their vote represents the re-establishment of a historic cultural relationship.

But take away the emotional side of the Crimean referendum and reality hits home -- the economic challenges that are yet to knock on their door.

Crimea is entirely integrated into Ukraine's mainland economy and infrastructure.

The peninsula only produces one-tenth of the energy it consumes. Ninety percent of its water, 80% of its electricity, and roughly 65% of its gas come from the rest of Ukraine.

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Commentaries. Opinions, And Editorial

Why Russia may not be poised to roll into Ukraine after all -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

Putin's not finished with Ukraine -- what Obama is missing as crisis continues -- Tetyana Shvachuk, FOX News

Ukraine prepares for war -- Alexander J. Motyl, CNN

Obama Has No Russia Policy -- Andrei Tsygankov, Moscow Times

Turkey elections: test of Erdogan’s rule? -- Inside Story/Al Jazeera

The Erdogan phenomenon and a desperate opposition -- Deutsche Welle

Turkey’s Erdogan Wins Big, Thinks Bigger -- Piotr Zalewski, Time

The many temper tantrums of Turkey Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan -- Terrence McCoy, Washington Post

Erdogan's election victory could be good news for Turkish democracy -- Mohammed Ayoob, The Guardian

Turkey's election may ironically have dealt a blow to democracy -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

An Afghan Afghanistan -- Brahma Chellaney, Project Syndicate

The Philippines Wants the U.N. to Step in On its Territorial Disputes with China -- David Stout, Time

8 Reasons Why India's Elections Really Matter to the World -- James Tapper, Global Post

Why France Has Given Up on Its Politicians -- Dan Hannan, Daily Telegraph

Scotland is already another country -- Ruth Wishart, The Guardian

John Kerry’s departure from reality -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post