I agree with you Judy. Putin won’t ever surrender Crimea...but a) the takeover would not have happened under a Trump presidency and b) the move will one day be looked at as a big mistake for Putin...
For the time being, the collapse of his regime is not imminent — but he got the island and lost Ukraine. A country where many once supported him. Now, Ukraine is taking baby steps to join NATO among a whole host of other things to cement their indepence from Russia’s sphere of influence.
Most importantly, the consequences of Crimea stalled Russia’s own economic and domestic development.
Ukraine was a very significant part of the Soviet Union. Aside from their huge agricultural sector, the largest steel mill in the union is in Ukraine. The largest open pit iron mine in Europe is in Ukraine. The Antonio Aircraft Company is there as well as a major tank rebuilding facility. Putin mishandled this one.