“The U.S. is provoking Russia. Sailing ships into the Black Sea and threatening sanctions mean little when Putin holds most of the trump cards. Negotiations should be in Moscow, not Paris or London.

“My gut says Crimea will vote to secede and nothing will happen in the near term. Ukraine's elections are a bigger deal and the U.S. should be focused on getting them organized - with Russia.”

David Fuller's view

Thanks for your thoughts on this tense situation.  I agree that there has been some provocation by the US since the Soviet Union fell apart.  I also regard that as both inevitable and somewhat justified when Yeltsin appointed Putin as his successor. 

Re the Ukraine’s elections, I think those with a Western leaning are fed up with Russian meddling in their elections.  I do not see how the US and Russia could agree on candidates and would that not be trampling on what remains of Ukrainian sovereignty?