Quote Originally Posted by Takeovers View Post
Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
The real reason for giving it to them was to increase the Russian population in Ukraine.
Whatever the "reason" it was a binding international agreement Russia entered on their own free will.


Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
The real reason for taking it back was to avoid having NATO troops controlling one side of the Kerch Strait.
That is pure nonsense. NATO became an issue only after Russia started threatening Ukraine. After Russia tried to buy the Ukraine president to stop integration of Ukraine into the western economic sphere as wanted by a huge majority of the population, including those of russian origin.
I have to disagree with you, because you don't see the big picture.

Russia and the West sparring over the Ukraine had only one strategic issue for Russia: Sevastopol naval base.

By taking Crimea, they guarantee not only that they have access to it, but NATO doesn't.

And if NATO could have cut off the Strait, Rostov would have been taken out of the game, too.

It's why Russia have opened a new base at Novorossiysk.

I expect all of this is news to you, otherwise you wouldn't talk out of your arse.