One of the first examples that Smallman and Brown give for a possible local-global alliance is the idea that Russia resented the role played by the Soros Foundation in Ukraine's Orange Revolution. Smallman and Brown don't explain this at all, so learn a little about it elsewhere. This seems like a good source (Links to an external site.) for learning about the Orange Revolution. The Wikipedia (Links to an external site.) article is longer and explains things in more detail; it may be a little more neutral, too. This is not asking you to spend hours becoming experts on the Orange Revolution, but take enough time to get an idea of what it was.
Then answer these questions: why did Russia feel that it had a right to control what happened in Ukraine? If international organizations like the Soros Foundation (and maybe the US government (Links to an external site.)) helped Ukrainians who wanted a more democratic government achieve that, is that a good thing or a bad thing? How does foreign meddling in Ukrainian politics, whether in the name of Russian nationalism or in the name of liberal democracy, fit with the ideas of the nation-state and state sovereignty?
Please keep it brief. Thanks!