Go learn something of the history of Crimea and its ethnic makeup and get back to me. As for the ME, go look at a map. You might see some borders there...and Russia, like almost everyone else, has its own Muslim problems (as does China increasingly).
Putin isn’t a “commie”. The Russians learn a lesson th every hard way. Those “commie” folks that concern you live mainly in EU welfare states and are abundant on our college campuses.
What’s to learn? Your card carrying commie KGB buddy annexed it by force from a neighboring country while taking a little time off from murdering the opposition and journalists who offend his sensibilities.