The difference is whether or not you're on the open plains leading to Moscow. The eastern edge of the Carpathian Mountains has always been a hard line for Russ

The difference is whether or not you're on the open plains leading to Moscow. The eastern edge of the Carpathian Mountains has always been a hard line for Russia, going back to the middle ages, because once the plain to Moscow opens up, it's nearly indefensible. That edge is in eastern Ukraine. It's a very 19th/20th century view on 21st century geopolitics, but hey, that's modern Russia for you.