Perhaps the following anecdote (from Wikipedia) is symbolic of the quality of the US State Department's understanding of Russia, considering they couldn't even translate a one-word motto correctly:

Symbolic reset On 6 March 2009 in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented Sergei Lavrov with a red button with the Russian text "перегрузка". It was intended that this would be the Russian word for "reset". Clinton explained that she wanted to reset relations between Russia and the United States. However, Lavrov explained to Clinton that "перегрузка" actually means "overcharge". The two pressed the button anyway. Clinton explained that the American side meant it; they wanted a new era of better ties.

Incidentally, a simple Google Translate of "перегрузка" yields the definition "overload" and various other synonyms, not reset.

Famous. Last. Words.

From a National Geographic article of March 6, 2014:

Geography may also serve as a constraint. Maria Lipman, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center, says that "geographically speaking" the [Crimean] peninsula has some interesting challenges. For example, in the north "it has a narrow strip of land that connects it to Ukraine. The peninsula itself is very dry, with almost no source of fresh water," and thus relies on mainland Ukraine for water. "Crimea cannot simply be severed from Ukraine."

 (Emphasis added.)

Postscript: 12 days later, on March 18, Russia annexed Crimea, severing it from Ukraine....

pwned