[Rerun]

I know we would all like to believe that this invasion is all Putin's fault and its only supported by his puppet Russian government, but the truth is... its not.

The Russian people support Putin and this invasion enormously.

A recent poll by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research showed that more than 90% of Russians supported unification with the Crimean Republic, while 86% believe that Crimea, which was transferred to Ukraine by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1954, is part of Russian territory.

Putin's approval rating has skyrocketed since the Kremlin got approval to send troops to Ukraine, jumping by nearly 10% in less than a month to 71.6%, the highest in three years, according to the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research.

Putin said Tuesday that he doesn't want to split Ukraine, easing fears that tensions in the region will escalate further. Still, two weeks earlier, Putin had also said that Russia had no intention to annex Crimea.
"I don't know what he will do next. He's not a predictable politician," said Malashenko. "National leaders come to power on their own, rather than being appointed, like Putin was."

In the past, Putin cared quite a bit about what Western leaders thought of him, but he has since become more indifferent. "The Crimea decision was a chance to show that Russia can take decisive action internationally, and to teach America a lesson that it has its own interests that it is willing to defend," Makarkin said. "There were two aims: maintaining Russia's sphere of interest and self-assertion."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...ussia/6564263/