Phase II has begun. Putin no doubt wants a contiguous land bridge to connect Russia to Crimea. Agitation by Russophiles in eastern Ukraine is the first step. However will Putin again deploy the Russian army and force the West to impose mutually destructive sanctions? Will the Ukraine fight to defend it sovereignty or will NATO support it and risk war? Will Ukraine and Russia negotiate a debt for land swap? Should the US be involved or even care?
No need for a “land bridge.” Crimea is less than a mile from mainland Russia.
Well, after all, Hitler annexed Austria because native germans weren’t safe...