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To regain the status of a lost empire. Also immensely fertile agricultural land and heavy industry in the eastern provinces. Ukraine has approximately a third of the population of Russia and they're going to need the people and productivity. The demographic projections for Russia are catastrophic. The life expectancy for men is only around 60 years.
In the end, I think 90 percent of Putin's motivation is purely domestic politics. He gains power by antagonizing the West and fanning Russian nationalism. He remembers all too well that he was the target of mass protest when he came back into office. He crushed it brutally but knows that the fundamental desires of an aspirational middle class (freedom of speech, transparency in governance, etc.) will never go away. They can only be distracted temporarily.
In short, to reclaim the strongman status.
Russia has fertile land already. Russia has plenty of coal, gas, and oil. Russia has developed its own industrial base. It is a matter of it being done the right way. And for life expectancy to make a difference, it would have to be about ten years longer. The male life expectancy in Ukraine is around 66. And the places in Ukraine with the highest life expectancies and highest birthrates is in the western regions. The east, the part you are talking about, has among the lowest life expectancies and lowest birthrates in Ukraine. The Donetsk Oblast, in the east, has the highest infant mortality rate in Ukraine
Putin has displayed his hatred for the west. What is ironic is that some of Putin's biggest admirers are the right-wingers in the USA. Basically, anyone who is against President Obama is taking Putin's side. Putin's ways are reminiscent of what went on during the days of the USSR. Basically, he knows he's a dictator and he seeks to be the "strongman".
Murmansk is an ice-free port, thanks to the Gulf Stream.
And Russia also has the Black Sea. And the climate along the Black Sea coast is actually subtropical.
Like I said, Russia has very few warm water ports. Murmansk isn't really ideal and when you add in proximity to population centers Sevastopol makes more sense than the other ports. If Putin isn't after port security and ultimately trade water influence then I can't imagine what he wants. Ukrainian land is fertile, but Russians aren't starving and incomes have been going up for years, so that doesn't make sense.
Breathing room! Putin knows Obama is the weakest president in history so he's going to take every chance he can get to secure his legacy.
Putin is a fool. No country in the world will be foolish enough to surrender nuclear weapons after attaining them again. And they will list Russia's actions here. Hes set back nuclear disarmament by generations.
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