NOBODY on DU is pro-Putin...nobody here ever has been.

[ozone_man]

99. Two sides of the coin perhaps?

Putin may be a fascist and preside over a kleptocracy. But, we have our 1% and immunity to prosecution of the too big fail banks, control over the media, spying on citizens, and we have the means of controlling the world order via our massive military budget, CIA, NSA, that do not require boots on the ground (though we do plenty of that), all to maintain our standard of living, and especially that of the 1%. We're a second coming of imperialism, global this time. The sun never sets on the American empire. A piece on the oligarchy that we are:
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/27-4

We prefer now (since the CIA was established) to destabilize foreign governments and convert them from afar, Iran for example, Venezuela, and so on, maybe Ukraine is yet another example of that. I think Putin is just more direct, a style difference, this is Russia's front door after all, and maybe we have pushed too far. Besides Crimea had a vote. They chose Russia over Ukraine.