as they say in selling real estate... location location location.

Russian doesn't give a hoot about ethnic Russians in the Ukraine... they have quite the impressive record of killing off their own people at a politcal whim. But they do care about acquiring territory... especially territory that brings them gains in other areas.

England fought the Crimean War to prevent Russia from gaining access to ports on the Black Sea... ports that are navigable year round and could be used to reach the Mediterranean Sea & then the Atlantic.

So it doesn't matter to them what world opinion is... they are looking for that first "slice of baloney" to start them on their path to "retoring" the Russian Empire. More "dreams of grandeur" from yet another would be "czar"... just the title has changed, not the ambition.