The point is, to Russians, Crimea was and is Russian, notwithstanding Khrushchev’s gift of it to Ukraine for his own personal political reasons.
To Russians ALL of the former Soviet Union is “Russian”.
The point is Tartars have just as much right to self determination as these mostly Soviet era ethnic Russian Crimean transplants. That is several hundred thousand Tartars who want nothing to do with Russians. What’s the plan for them?
If we are going to redraw borders then let Russia be the first. That that isn’t happening tells us this is just the old school Russian expansionist playbook cracked open by the KGB thug in Moscow. Putin is using all the classic Soviet thug moves. 5th column, figurehead leader, sham elections, etc., etc. This is nothing new and he surely won’t stop with Crimea.
And the Tatars just naturally evolved on the Crimean peninsula? Really? I thought they were the descendants of the bloody and butchering Mongol Horde, not exactly pacifists.
So, should we give America back to the Indians? Hawaii to the Hawaiians?