[wetphoenix]

~Are you speaking of Crimea, or this area of E. Ukraine?~

Forget about Crimea. How could they ‘invade’ Crimea given it is a base for a Russian Navy and it was allowed to move and station up to 25,000 troops there.

We are talking about mainland Ukraine.

[GeronL]

Crimea was mainland Ukraine until a couple months ago

[1rudeboy]

Let's not forget Crimea just yet. Putin admitted he sent troops into areas that they were not allowed in order to facilitate the annexation.

The area of E. Ukraine has Russian-trained insurgents, trained in Russia (by admission of rebel leaders), and Russian equipment crossing the border (as observed by Reuters and others).

So let's not muddy the water.