“Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is a religious man, a great supporter of the Russian
Orthodox Church. If so, he may well go to bed each night, say his prayers, and ask God: “Why
didn’t you put mountains in eastern Ukraine?”
If God had built mountains in eastern Ukraine, then the great expanse of flatland that is the
European Plain would not have been such inviting territory for the invaders who have attacked
Russia from there repeatedly through history. As things stand, Putin, like Russian leaders
before him, likely feels he has no choice but to at least try to control the flatlands to Russia’s west.”
-Tim Marshall “Russia and the Curse of Geography” Oct. 2015
Which of the following best summarizes the author’s opinion in the passage above?
Russia should not try to control lands located to its west
The flat terrain of the European plain provides economic advantages
The President of Russia must face similar geographic challenges as past Russian leaders
Russia’s physical geography has helped it more than hurt it throughout history