Ethnic make up of Crimea.

[another_liberal]

12. In this current situation . . .

The use of deadly military force would be extremely foolish. You are completely correct concerning the protection of human life being paramount. In this current situation, we must remain calm and pragmatic. Military force by anyone involved could lead to the kind of wholesale bloodshed, destruction and death that no sane person can possibly want to see.

Crimea, as you note, was only added to Ukraine sixty years ago, and even after that transfer they both remained within the Soviet Union. I seriously doubt such an action would have even been considered had people at the time foreseen a breaking up of the Soviet Union itself. That makes Crimean independence a different situation than it would be if one of the States of the United States, for example, attempted to secede and become its own country. I think it is entirely justified for the citizens of Crimea to have a free and fair vote to decide the question of their independence, or continued status as a part of the larger Ukraine.