Allegiance to Russia

Many ethnic Russians reside in the Eastern Ukraine, and it is natural that they would want citizenship in what they consider their "Motherland". Even a few ethnic Ukrainians believe that they might prosper more under Moscow's rule than home rule. Are Russian intelligence operatives ginning up the protests? I would assume they are, but that does not mean that Russia has no natural constituency in the Ukraine. I think we may see more of the Ukraine rejoining Putin's Russia because Ukraine is not strong enough on its own to prevent it, and there is not sufficient mettle in the West to stop Putin from moving aggressively. I am not even certain that if Russia entered the Baltic States that Obama would use force to contain Russia's imperial ambition.