[1rudeboy]

Let's not forget Crimea just yet. Putin admitted he sent troops into areas that they were not allowed in order to facilitate the annexation.

The area of E. Ukraine has Russian-trained insurgents, trained in Russia (by admission of rebel leaders), and Russian equipment crossing the border (as observed by Reuters and others).

So let's not muddy the water.

[mac_truck]

Putin admitted he sent troops into areas that they were not allowed in order to facilitate the annexation.

False.

The status of forces agreement with the old Ukrainian government allowed Russia to deploy troops across the entire Crimean peninsula in certain situations. The violent overthrow of a democratically elected government in Kiev was one of those situations.

Russia chose to deploy its troops in such a way as to not inflame an already tense situation in Kiev and at no time did Russian troop levels exceed the numbers allowed by the status of forces agreement.

[GeronL]

Russia is invading Ukraine in stages, it is pretty obvious