[Sundae]

Don't under-estimate the problem of land borders in many places in mainland Europe.
We're not even immune to it on our little island(s) let alone across huge land masses.
The citizens of the Crimea vote in the Ukraine election, but are outnumbered. They speak Russian and identify with Russia. They feel Russian.

Look at the borders of even well established, secure democratic countries in Europe and you will see that cultures and languages blend close to the border. And borders have shifted in these areas for centuries.

Add recent political and economic instability into the mix and you can see why it's not been a stable region for decades.

It's kinda like when "we" carved up Africa according to Western politics and claims, somehow not taking into account tribal lands and sensibilities. Result? Civil war, death, power grabbing and a bit more death. Some of which may have happened anyway, but drawing arbitrary lines on a map massively exacerbated things.

What can we do now? In the Crimea I mean. As little as possible. I hope.