Illegally. No international bodies, including the UN, recognize the “annexation.” According to you, Ukraine has no say in the matter. Whatever Russia wants, Russia gets, eh?The UN doesn't recognize Israel's "occupied territories" from the 6 Day War and control over the Golan Heights. China has Tibet and took over Hong Kong in violation of the agreement with the UK. Russia has part of Karelia taken from Finland. I could provide a list of territorial disputes involving most of the countries in the world, including the US and most of Europe.
For someone who claims to be knowledgeable about history, you are either ill-informed or hopelessly naive about realpolitik.
Get real. Ukraine was supposed to attack a nuclear power that was on record that Ukraine was illegitimate and had no right to exist as an independent and sovereign nation? And while Ukraine was in the midst of a civil war? Again, get real.
So you admit what is going on in Donbass is a civil war. Good start. Russia wants them to be independent states now that Ukraine failed to implement the 2015 Minsk Agreement that would have given the Eastern provinces greater autonomy. The civil war was going on for over 8 years before the Russian invasion. Also, yes, Ukraine is powerless to retake Crimea. That is reality.
I don’t ignore it at all. But, it’s not right, or legal. But right and legality mean nothing to you; all you recognize is raw power. I wonder how you’ll react when China exerts raw power and starts taking Russian territory; because, you know, it will. Bullies are the same everywhere. They are always insecure, and are always just punks.
Is Israel a bully? Again, "raw power" is always a factor in territorial disputes. And there is historical context that under-girds territorial claims. Colonialism, imperialism, and wars affect territorial boundaries. Maps were redrawn after WWI and WWII with the victors often dictating boundary lines often ignoring cultural and historical factors.
Crimea was given to Ukraine by the Soviet Union in 1954. It was more of an administrative decision since Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Crimea was part of Russia for hundreds of years. Ukraine became a truly independent country in 1991. But it has yet to be a nation witness the civil war going on in the Eastern provinces. Others drew Ukraine's boundaries.
“The UN doesn’t recognize Israel’s “occupied territories” from the 6 Day War and control over the Golan Heights. China has Tibet and took over Hong Kong in violation of the agreement with the UK. Russia has part of Karelia taken from Finland.”
Yeah, and that does not make such “occupations” or “annexations” legitimate or right.
“So you admit what is going on in Donbass is a civil war.”
I’ve always described the separatist DPR and LPR conflict as a civil war with Ukraine.
“Russia wants them to be independent states...”
ONLY to the extent it benefits Russia; Russia doesn’t give a sh!t about the people of Donbas, but it DOES give a sh!t about the area’s natural resources, which Russia intends to control.
“Russia wants them to be independent states now that Ukraine failed to implement the 2015 Minsk Agreement that would have given the Eastern provinces greater autonomy.”
Minsk II became untenable and unenforceable due to Russian interference and meddling.
“The civil war was going on for over 8 years before the Russian invasion.”
Bullsh!t. Russia was PART of the civil war since 2014, as it illegally annexed Crimea and invaded the Donbas area back in 2014. Russia has been up to its eyeballs since 2014 in the civil war.
“Crimea was part of Russia for hundreds of years.”
Lie! It was only a part of Russia for 135 years (from 1783 to 1917); after that, it was an SSR within the USSR until 1991, and has been independent ever since. But, your hero Vlad never recognized Ukraine as being an independent and sovereign nation, and still doesn’t.
“But (Ukraine) has yet to be a nation witness the civil war going on in the Eastern provinces.”
Ah, so any nation that has a civil war within its borders is not a nation? You have just invalidated most of the nations on earth at one time or another.
Moreover, your use of Israel as an example is misleading (which is something you usually resort to). Israel was under almost constant bombardment from the Golan Heights (Syria). So, it occupied the Golan Heights to eliminate the constant bombardment. Does Israel regularly initiate offensive bombardment of Syria from the Golan Heights? No, of course not. Was Russia regularly shelled by Ukraine ANYWHERE along its border? No, of course not.
Russia is the bully that steals smaller and weaker kids’ lunch money,and then dares them to do something about it. And, when they do, Russia — as any bully — cries Foul!
I hope Finland and Sweden join NATO. Russia will get its clock cleaned if it wants to steal THEIR lunch money. Do you have any idea how viscerally Russia is hated by Europe, especially eastern Europe? Do you think the Ukrainian war will be over if Russia gets the Donbas? (Oh, BTW: Russia fully intends to take the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine, which extends way to the west of Crimea and Donbas.) Russia is going to face an insurrection the likes of which it has never seen before. This is Russia’s last gasp. And, do you know who is going to sweep in and clean the carcass? China. And sooner than you think.