“There is a reason why there was not an armed invasion of Crimea. Because Crimea was full of Russian speakers, and there was some sympathy to the view that Russia was representing its interest.” Crimea and Donetsk both are predominantly populated by ethnic Russians who speak Russian, not Ukrainian
Speaking Russian doesn't make you Russian. If it did the USA would be British territory!
They are ethnic Russians who speak Russian.
They can still be Ukrainian nationalist, especially if they've experienced Muscovite occupation - oppression, corruption, prices 3x higher than in Russia, no public services, people snatched off the street and sent into suicidal assaults without training.
Ethnic Russians who speak Russian and voted to be annexed by Russia but secretly Ukrainian nationalist
In a non-secret vote with Moscow's thugs watching you, and counting the votes.
I think part of the problem is that you don’t draw a distinction between ethnic Ukrainians and ethnic Russians and you see them all as just white people speaking different dialects. When in reality this is like ethnic Palestinians living in Israel-controlled Gaza.
You have one ethnic group being controlled by the borders of another. The parts of Ukraine that are predominantly populated with Ethnic Russians want to be annexed, but the controlling ethnic group, the Ukrainians, are preventing that.