[rmlew]

. Crimea has always belonged to Russia. To compare the two situations is offensive.... I guess Germany should know why one is like the other.

Always? Is that Kremlin Koolaid in your vodka?
The first Rus polity was the Rus Khaganate around Holmgard/Novgorod in the north. The second was the Kievan Rus, which is the parent of Ruthenia/Ukraine and Russia. The Varangians didn't even conquer this until 882, if not later. So now we are in the 920s with the Kievan Rus, which didn't conquer Crimea from the Khazars until 988. But there is a problem. the Kievan Rus (again both Ukranian and Russian) only helf Crimea from another few decades before the Pechenegs cut them off from Crimea. The Crimea was later conquered by the Kipchaks/Kumans/Poltsovoi at the end of the 11th century. (And if you will not, the Krim Tatars whether they are Muslim Christian, Rabbinate Jew, or Karaite Jew all speak related Kipchak dialects.) The area was then conquered by the Mongol in 1239. When the Mongol Empire collapsed, the Crimean Khanate (Mongol-Kipchak) was created in 1441 and lasted until 1783. Russian then conquered and held it until 1954 when it was added to Ukraine. So thans about 250 years of the last 1026 years under Russian rule. Meanwhile it was Kipchak or Mongol for about 583 years. Of course prior to 988, it belonged to various Oghuric Turks (Huns, Avars, Bulghars, Khazars)from 376 until 988. So if you are going to say that history is what matters, well then it belongs to the Karaylar and Krimchaks.

[gr8eman]

...it belongs to the Karaylar and Krimchaks.

Weren't they neighbors of the Hatfields and McCoys? Seriously though, the hate America crowd engages in the same hyperbole trying (successfully) to make Americans guilty for living in a land once roamed by the natives here. Thanks for your knowledge on this subject. I am very interested in central European history. It really never gets boring if you go there and try to understand it.