They may identify with this yes. But as Snyder, Titkov and other historians and activists had said, and I say that as well. The idea of empire is a poison, it has poisoned the minds, hearts and souls of Russians for many generations.
Sergei Medvedev, a Russian historian said that he hopes, that Russia suffers a defeat that is so bad, that the country is forced to question itself, and so that Putin is overthrown and so that Russia can reinvent itself from within. In its current state Russia is not compatible with the 21st century.
The empire must be amputated from the Russian collective mind like the cancer that it is. No one in Russia not living in Petersburg and Moscow profits from this empire. All they get is a highly extractive Metropolis that is draining the other 100 million or so subjects of Russia off manpower, resources and money.
Ukraine also identifies with Crimea, much stronger than Russia does, as it is part of Ukraine in the cultural, historical and economic sense much more than it ever was part of Russia. The infatuation of both the Nazis and Russia with Ukraine was similar to the situation we see today. Hitler wanted a Eurasian empire, Russia wants a Eurasian empire. And Ukraine was the crown jewel for the Nazis and pivotal for Stalinist Russia. We can look at nuances, however, the West will not cater to the delusions of a madman and his Z-fascist followers. The Russian population won't be barred from entering Crimea, likely a UN force will have to placed there anyways to avoid violent clashes.
Less than 6 per cent of Crimea’s written history (from the 9th century BC to date) belongs to the Russian chapter. Before 2014, Crimea was under Russian control for a total of only 168 years.
Russia took Crimea by force, and has mercilessly Russified it by deporting its native population. We cannot go down the slippery slope of trying to see who identifies with what. Then we will have to continue with South Tyrol, give it back to Austria, Kaliningrad is the rightfully German's property. The list goes and on. Chaos and turmoil is at the end of this road. The safest way is to acknowledge that when Ukraine became independent, there was a vote, and that vote is binding.
As a compromise, a new vote could be scheduled to debate the following two options: Crimea as a part of Ukraine, Crimea as an autonomous region not fully part of Ukraine or Russia. The EU has very good tools in place for such situations.
Minority rights for Russians in Crimea, protection of their language, protection of their customs etc. All can be negotiated, but not as long as Russia has an invasion force in Ukraine, and not as long as Russia continues to torture and kill Ukrainian civilians. The weapons will fall silent Brian, but if they fall silent today, Ukraine is doomed, but also Russia is doomed. Or at least the minorities in Russia. Putin knows only one way. To crush those that he perceives are against him. We tried to compromise, but Russia simply refuses to even listen. Peace is possible once Russia realizes that the war cannot be won. What Ukraine is doing, is basically buying time and hoping that sooner or later Russia does something so atrocious, that NATO has to interfere after all. Handing over millions of Ukrainians into Russian hands, that isn't a feasible option. At least another 10 million would then flee to Europe. What is left of Ukraine then? This is the Russian plan. Genocide, to stamp out Ukraine's culture, Ukraine's language, Ukraine's history and Ukraine's statehood. And a peace treaty won't suddenly change Putin's mind, in fact it would only embolden him. The logic would be: Ok, so all I have to do is being extremely violent and barbaric and then the West just caves after some time and gives me what I want. Good, then I shall repeat that in Georgia, Moldova and the Baltics next. It would also send a really bad message to China regarding Taiwan, or towards the enemies of Israel and towards South Korea. The war in Ukraine is awful, and I am saddened that our leaders haven't done more to stop it (because they could, they just don't do it) but handing over half of Ukraine to Russia, which is the price for peace, just isn't a very wise idea.
