I'm surprised at how often internet comments seem to completely ignore the fact that many Ukrainians actually want to be part of Russia, at least in the eastern parts of the country where the population is largely ethnic Russian.
Ukraine isn't some stable nation-state with a homogenous population. There is a legitimate argument that Eastern Ukraine has a right to self-determination. I don't like Russia actively destabilizing the region, but this isn't happening without the active support of Ukrainians. This is yet another example of people assuming that a large, powerful nation (in this case Russia) is able to control events on their own, and the smaller, less powerful nation is a completely innocent pawn.
Ukraine isn't some stable nation-state with a homogenous population. There is a legitimate argument that Eastern Ukraine has a right to self-determination. I don't like Russia actively destabilizing the region, but this isn't happening without the active support of Ukrainians. This is yet another example of people assuming that a large, powerful nation (in this case Russia) is able to control events on their own, and the smaller, less powerful nation is a completely innocent pawn.