the US offers Russia the sanctions US intends to impose - is this a lay down misere, page-48

cheers sharps....... thats an interesting post mate.... you bring in a lot of issues that show the broader context.

.... and why shouldn't Ukraine "take back" Crimea? at least there is a land connection to Ukraine whereas the Russian connection is via a very long Crimean Bridge. and Russia, by occupying Crimea, gains much farm production as well as more sea ports and places a deeper threat against Ukraine of further land grabs such as the northern province which in 2014 they virtually claimed due to the same dynamics that there is a substantial (circa 25%) Russian-speaking population which "demands reintegration with Russia".

these Russian populations are a legacy of USSR colonisation of all USSR states.

Russia also resumes direct ownership of the missile siloes and other military facilities that were set up by USSR.

but the USSR is dead and gone, much to Putin's chagrin and frustration.

IMO Russia had only the slimmest and slimiest of claims on Crimea. Ukraine had been an independent (non-Russian) state pre-USSR, although separation of states was largely nominal with considerable free flow of agrarian movement between states.

I get your US-led dynamic...... "could be" is the best I can say to this..... and while I don't feel any trust in the US it seems to me that Russia (and the Moscow Times) is less credible.

Russia is already diminished from USSR status, yet Russia is a large enough nation, as is Ukraine, Georgia and many other former USSR states that have now been relatively functional and independent of Russia for 30 years. These aren't "statelets" but fully established nations.

Further down you write of a seeming US/NATO plot to undermine Russian sovereignty over Crimea. this reads to me to be Russian propaganda.

there's much to discuss further on this matter.