Just so. Putin did not start this mess. He stepped in after violent revolutionaries overthrew the elected government of Ukraine.
And that revolution was funded by George Soros and his buddies, and the CIA.
Putin stepped in AFTER that happened. He was not about to let revolutionaries take over Ukraine and persecute the Russian speakers there, or make trouble for Russia.
Soros made a big, stupid mistake. And now the Ukrainians are paying for it.
Add to that, of course, the evident fact that Obama is a cowardly jerk and John Kerry is a ding berry. And the Defense secretary is a Communist whose assigned job is to destroy our military. And so forth.
So, Putin didn’t start this. But now he finds a golden opportunity to undo some of the agreements Russia made with the West when it was much weaker.
I lean towards your interpretation of events, but the incredible thing is how unnecessary it is to interpret events! If Crimea weren’t so pro-Russian, there’s no way Putin would want — or be able to afford — a restive, occupied province. He’s got his hands full. Is he Macchiavellian? Before answering that, people should note the central thesis of Macchiavelli was that his sponsor should NOT occupy Corsica.
Of course. Those Russian troops that crossed the border simply "lost their way."
You forget one major player/culprit, the EU. The European Union probably spent just as much money if not more than the US during the last years to support and build up pro-EU sentiment in Ukraine.
(I’ll try and post some links later, but in the meantime anyone interested can search “Ukraine” at the blog Eureferendum.com )