Hey, there are many Putin supporters here, maybe they can illustrate his genius Wink .
Should have just stood and watched from the sidelines. Would have been much better for Russia IMO.
Our grand strategists had to know how Europe would respond. Should have just pushed for Crimean referendum.
Hahahaha... the coup leaders in the Ukraine would never have allowed a fair referendum to allow the people of the Crimea to decide their fate... it is like votes to join the EU... keep holding them and keep the media blitz on the population till they vote the way you want them to.
Once the rigged vote is counted and Crimea decides to become a permanent part of the Ukraine they will tear up the lease for the Black Sea Fleet and tell the Russian Navy to leave... by then it will be too late to send in the troops and NATO will have moved its next chess piece into position right on Russias border.
the Russians are never going to come out the good guys no matter what they do, so why play such stupid games.
As mentioned above the US has done far worse than this on multiple occasions... this is what big powerful countries do. Claiming the UN should be able to stop it is like claiming the UN should have been able to stop US invasions all over the world... that is not what the UN is for.
I don't want to see any actual invasion of anywhere, but if Russian troops stationed in the Crimea can protect the local population from the armed men and women that are behind this coup then that is a good thing in my opinion.
From what I have read Ukrainian soldiers in the Crimea are handing over weapons to the Russian forces so this could be a bloodless transition period perhaps till a free and fair referendum can be organised.