Re: Ukraine. Yes, that is what our friends also said. Ukraine is a separate country but there is a huge intermingling of peoples. I don’t have to agree with Putin’s policies to understand why he would fight to keep Ukraine from becoming a US / Western vassal country.

Re: Crimea. I do know the history, and understand that Crimea has been a part of Russia for 300+ years. It only became part of Ukraine during the Soviet time, when the “transfer” was really only symbolic (in my opinion).