Usually I'm more up to speed on the goings on in world politics, but for the past several months I've been negligent. Here I give my synopsis and analysis of the situation.
First, the Ukrainian protests against president Yanukovych have been going on for months with around 77 deaths and several injuries attributed to the president and law enforcement. The president is pro-Russian and has been courting Russian assistance and distancing himself from the European Union, which is what triggered the protests. Most ethnic Ukrainians favor ties with Europe and the West and further distance between Russia and Ukraine. But the Crimean Region, which is filled far more with ethnic Russians, leans closer to their neighbor and former big brother republic in the USSR.
President Yanukovych, having angered his people and parliament, was removed by procedures that are illegal under the current constitution (which he recently altered, making it illegal), but was voted out by every single member. Currently a new president has been installed, one who favors European assimilation.
The divisiveness of this situation is quite evident, and is demonstrated when a Ukrainian Black Sea vessel recently refused orders from Kiev and raised a Russian flag per the ex-president's orders.
As a result, there are two men claiming to be president, and the legitimacy of one or the other is in question. The people are split, and protests continue.
So Russia is invading Ukraine under a pretense of protecting the autonomy of the pro-Russian region, though there is little evidence that this is in any danger. During the Russian invasion of Georgia, I can see an argument for Russian intervention, though I ultimately side with Georgia, as the whole situation has arisen as part of Russia's forced implementation of a supposedly independent country. But here I see no justification. Russia claims to be preserving autonomy, but the timing of such intervention is very questionable. With the departure of the last president and the popular support of ethnic Russians, I see Putin as attempting to guarantee a pro-Russian government, either reinstating Yanukovych or at a minimum, removing new president Turchynov, all under the auspices of protecting Russian brothers. I believe that the eastern Ukrainians would enjoy an independent nation, but I think Russia would much rather have the whole country under a loyal government. If they can at least intimidate the current government into resuming loyalty to the Kremlin, they will do so, again justifying their actions and trusting that such justification will create enough hesitation in Western powers not to interfere. And honestly, Russia scares me. I don't know that we should interfere. I'm kinda glad Ukraine is not a member of NATO.