* Putin is the 'charismatic leader' of a military powerhouse in financial decline.
* He has been actively radicalizing his citizens through a well-oiled fully state controlled propaganda machine.
* He believes he has Europe in his pocket through the oil supply and massive proceeds from corruption stashed away in European assets (and so far he's been right.)
* He seems increasingly divorced from reality and reports are circulating he seems to be fed propaganda as truth by his close advisors; something with seems the Occam's Razor-explanation for his decidedly strange public statement just hours ago.
* He has started to attempt to expand his empire to return to his Empire's old glory.
As far as Crimea is concerned: only a bit over 50% Russian-speaking and only 23% support(ed) joining Russia.
They have also been watching Russia state news which shows propaganda such as:
* Kiev protests as all paid by the West (definitely not true)
* hundreds of thousands fleeing to Russia (no activity at the border)
* spontaneous pro-Russian takeovers (masked men using Russia military vehicles)
* mass Ukrainian defections (disarmament at gunpoint)
* massive pro-Russia protests (brought in buses by the unemployment agency and disappearing completely after 60 minutes)