However, the Russian military took up residence in the Crimea more than 200 years ago, when Catherine the Great built a naval base at Sevastopol.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia and Ukraine tussled repeatedly over dividing up the Black Sea Fleet  based there.

Today, Russia rents its Sevastopol base from Ukraine, where it has a presence better suited to being a Pariah than fighting a real war.

Russia which was the USSR literally incarcerated hundreds of millions of people by annexing countries in Eastern Europe. Their attempt to seize Afghanistan in 1980 and their occupation in Afghanistan that lasted eight years, ended in defeat and they went home with their tails between their legs.

It was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989 and in 1991, the USSR – “UNITED SOVIET SOCIALIST RUSSIA” crumbled financially and ended what was known as the once mighty USSR.

However, for some Russians, namely, Vladimir Putin who was head of the KGB, it was self evident that for him, his Russia was going to be if not what it was as the USSR, but for Putin, Russia was going to eventually flex it so called muscles again, and, Putin utilizing phantasmagoric rationales and internecine self indulgence policies, did so by invading Crimea.

Nikita Khrushchev gave Crimea to Ukraine in February 1954. The transfer merited only a paragraph in Pravda, the official Soviet newspaper, on Feb. 27, 1954. The story was one long sentence and dense with detail. Here’s what it said

“Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet transferring Crimea Province from the Russian Republic to the Ukraine Republic, taking into account the integral character of the economy, the territorial proximity and the close economic ties between Crimea Province and the Ukraine Republic, and approving the joint presentation of the Presidium of the Russian Republic Supreme Soviet and the Presidium of the Ukraine Republic Supreme Soviet on the transfer of Crimea Province from the Russian Republic to the Ukraine Republic.” And with that, a region that had been part of Russia for centuries was “gifted” to Ukraine.

Crimea was given to Ukraine because Khrushchev’s transfer was ostensibly to mark the 300th anniversary of Ukraine’s merger with the Russian empire. And he probably didn’t think the Soviet Union would be gone less than 40 years later.

It may be that the United States and its Allies would have to bring enormous economic pressure on Russia that perhaps wouldn’t halt the possible secession of Crimea to Russia, but, if the economic sanctions has the teeth to bite like a Shark at Putin’s Russia, it would be a lesson to Putin that he wouldn’t attempt any invasion attempts in Ukraine or elsewhere.

If we can succeed with something of the sort without starting a shooting match, Ukraine can then join the European Union and in addition perhaps it can be added to the list of NATO countries, whereby, Ukraine’s sovereignty would be guaranteed by “meaningful” Military Might.

For America, the Politicians, especially Republicans, need to “act” like Americans and speak with one voice. Their disdain for President Obama has much to do with how the world, especially Vladimir Putin, views America and President Obama.

“Together we would aspire; divided we will fall!

Follow me on Twitter @sheriffali