The best explanation I've heard for why he'd stop with this region is to keep Ukraine out of NATO, which is a desire Russia has expressed before. The theory goes that a country with an active regional dispute would not be allowed to join. Probably (my interpretation) because it could immediately trigger the joint defense pact. No doubt nothing here is being done for the sake of the people there. The truth is no one knows what will happen, and if they do they won't tell you. News sources and governments have their own incentives and biases that encourage them to propose a maximalist idea of the situation.
daviddever23box|4 years ago
brightstep|4 years ago