I can't blame Putin for wanting Crimea. You eliminate the need to play nice with your neighbour over leasing agreements for their Black Sea naval base if you just take the land. If Ukraine were to "go over" to the west, he may have problems working out deals with them in the future.
I think the average Russian is like the average Canadian or Thai or Kenyan, they just want a roof over their head and a job to provide for their family. Their leadership is quite ruthless however.
|