[tlozo]

The fact that eastern Ukraine was until recently part of Russia and is populated by Russians who have voted repeatedly and with huge majorities that they want to rejoin Russia means nothing?

Not true. Ukrainians are the majority in eastern Ukraine and every poll showed that the majority of residents wanted to be part of Ukraine. Russians were a majority only in Crimea.

According to a 2001 census, ethnic Ukrainians make up 56.9% of the total population of Donbas as a whole with ethnic Russians making up the largest minority, making up 38.2% of the total population of Donbas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donetsk_People%27s_Republic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Russians_Ukraine_2001.PNG

[protoconservative]

We wondered when the last of the Hard Line former Soviets would go insane seeing their empire crumble to western media and western banking. All the wealth of the bear is sitting in real estate around the world.

Russia really is in a box, not many directions to go. The states that have not joined NATO are more interested than they have been in 30 years. It seems we are months away from Russias BOOMERinksky moment. Putin will shake the markets and make lots of noise, 85% of ukraine will be allowed into NATO with open arms, 15% as a tax to the last non asian big C Communist. Whatever deals the bidens had in the 2010s, all the paperwork will be gone as of course he will be Ukraines Savor.

[miserare]

The Census you quote is two decades old.