Puzzle

There are lots of small places in the world where bad history combined with a mixed population - either by religion, language, race or by some combination of same - has caused plenty of trouble over the years. Ireland and Palestine to name but two. And here we have President Putin stirring up a mess of that sort just over his own border, a mess which might have simmered down unstirred, a mess which looks set to be a running sore for decades to come, a running sore which will be a drain on cash and on management resources for decades to come. Not to mention all the misery for those caught up in it. What on earth is he playing at? What on earth does he hope to achieve - particularly given that he has already done a good job of consolidating his access to the Black Sea.

I wonder whether he has studied the well known work of his predecessor J. Stalin 'On the National Question'? English versions available at Abebooks. I wonder also if the Kerch Strait (gmaps 45.270852, 36.534994) was important in connection with the Black Sea? In any event, all rather depressing.