Can I get a quick rundown on Crimea?

[eppie]

eppie, some of what you say is true. Problem is, both Russia and the US signed up for security guarantees for Ukraine as part of the dissolution deal, and as part of the "get rid of the nukes" deal. That raises the political stakes for the US, and somewhat for the European allies of the US.

The newer members of NATO: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary ... they are watching with some alarm as the bear wakes up.

Correct, but it remains complicated. Russia says it fights for the interests of the ethnic Russians in Ukraine.
Further Ukraine is not part of the Nato, and as long as it is an internal conflict the Nato doesn't do anything anyway.

The NATO members you mentioned are indeed making noise, but this might also just be because of their hatred of Russia....and them being member of NATO should protect them.

I really hope for a peaceful solution, especially seeing the two peoples are not really so different from each other so there should be no reason why they can't live together peacefully. The west should just focus on protecting the rights of the minorities in Crimea (and the rest of Ukraine) so that Ukrainians and Tatars don't become second class citizens. Sadly the people in those areas historically are not to fond of minorities (blacks, gays, jews, Roma etc.).