U.S.S.R. Fell because of multiple reason . Putin just saved Russia. When history is written one thing will be clear Putin gave Russia 200 more years of a state.
Putin of early 2000 was going the route of Gorbachev/Yelstin which would have been disastrous.
Main reason why U.S.S.R. Failed was Gorbachev appeasement to the west, refusing to use might when needed during Solidarity movement in Poland , revolution in Hungary (to maintain the Warsaw pact), accepting Germany Unification he should have listened to Margret Charter,
Introduction of Glasnost and perestroika reforms , giving baltic states more autonomy and poor managerial skills of his party.
U.S.S.R. A few weeks prior had voted for the union to continue only for C.I.A to sponsor Yelstin and the so called heads of Ukraine and Belarus (Non existent states) who did coup by signing Commonwealth Pact. Whose authority did they do it for.
As it stands Ukraine can never join NATO with contested territory meaning its just a matter of time before they align themselves with Russia again . Secondly E.U is in the brink on imploding we saw this with Brexit , nationalism is creeping back and most of the countries have started voting out Pro EU governments , with time E.U. Will become weaker and weaker and nations will start trading independently and not as a block, things will be back at default settings and this in turn will benefit Russia due to its enormous minerals and large population.
He can keep the four regions but he should expect robust defence from Ukraine akin to Ethiopia and Eritrea border wars. That I think is how this will play out. Russia will defend the newly acquired or reclaimed Russian lands as Ukraine will try to push the border. US and NATO will control Ukraine movement - ensuring it does about enough to irritate Russia without causing a meltdown.
One thing is clear - Russia will be bogged down in Ukraine for a long time. USSR fell with Afgan - this could be Russia waterloo
Pundit why is China the third largest Nuclear Country in the World ?
If Putin was listening to me The Baltic Countries would never have joined NATO . Putin by then was drunk in Petrodollars /Euros.
Maidan revolution could have quashed by the bud. Putin had been given the leeway by Yankuvich legally as per international laws to usw Military ro resolve the issue. He did it with Kazakhstan and Belarus at the end of last year. After Maidan revolution from Donbass to Odessa would have been Autonomous repulics with Ukraine.
Now what Putin has done is by absorbing those four regions in Russia is chess move which caught Western powers unawares . a fait accompli . Ukraine for sure will never join NATO and you heard yesterday NATO refusing to deploy Nuclear weapons in Nations which joined poat 1997. Thats a message to Putin we can negotiate. If this time around they refuse to cede ground another Fwb 14 will happen in Weatern Ukraine /Poland.
You mean there lot more crazy people willing to commit suicide like you. Why would China use nuclear when it can achieve it's objective with conventional weapon. Tell Putin (who I suppose listen to you) - manufacture conventional weapon and save his arse.
China who themselves are raring to use the Nuclear weapons will Punish Russia for using Nuclear weapons. Wacha bangi Pundit.