Crimea is historically not Russian either, as your article suggests. To right this injustice, the Crimea should go back to the Tatars, who were forcibly displaced into Siberia.

Unfortunately, such geopolitical claims are unlikely to materialize. Take Tibet as an example.

The people in the back rooms have to weigh the nuclear threat against other possibilities. They probably believe that Russian cannot be trusted for at least a generation. Giving them Crimea gives them too much influence in the region. And the nukes just might be a bust as the rest of the Russian military. Should the west cave in for something that could not happen? And if does happen, a quick retaliation will put a quick end to this war.

Anyways, there are so many ramifications that neither us nor the experts of experts know how the future will play. We shall bumble along.

We need a better system of governance that is more competent and trustworthy. This kind of government will be making more good decisions than bad decisions.