In pictures: Russian military build-up near Ukraine

[nyabingi]

21. You're forgetting that

the people of Crimea voted overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine and rejoin Russia. Now I'm sure you'll believe, as western media propagandists would want you to, that the people of Crimea were forced into doing this at gunpoint, yet there was no evidence that they were coerced into their actions. In fact, there were fireworks, dancing and much Russian flag-waving in the streets after the referendum passed (again, something not shown on western media sources).

An "invasion" implies a foreign force moving into a country unwanted and without the approval of those being invaded (like what we did to Iraq and Afghanistan). The Russians were not going to give up their Black Sea access and their naval base, and they rightly guessed that for the US, EU and NATO, Crimea was the real prize strategically. Putin moved in Russian troops to prevent a move on Crimea from Kiev, and it worked. Obama and his buddies were outmaneuvered, simple as that.

Western neo-cons, including Obama's own Victoria Nuland, instigated this, encouraged it and provided money for it. You can try to pretend this isn't the case, but that's the way it happened.