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[Tommy Carcetti]

24. They seemed fine with seeking territory in Crimea.

So I don't think that's entirely accurate.

Now, does Russia want all of Ukraine? Probably not. The Western part, where the Ukrainian national sentiment and language is the very strongest, would undoubtedly put up a very strong fight. And the mountainous terrain in that section of the country would favor them heavily.

But I think Putin would certainly not mind at least part of Ukraine.

Including Kyiv, the birthplace of the ancient Rus empire to which both Ukraine and Russia draw their roots but which is firmly in the hands of Ukraine and Ukraine alone.

Notably though, any move by Russia against Kyiv or another more easterly city of Ukraine--such as Kharkiv or Odessa--would likely not be the cakewalk Moscow thinks it would. Ukrainian national sentiment in those cities is also very strong, even as there is more of a linguistic mix of Ukrainian and Russian being spoken.