However, it would lend an awful lot of legitimacy to Russia's claims of just being their to protect the people if Kiev did such a thing, while not endearing any

However, it would lend an awful lot of legitimacy to Russia's claims of just being their to protect the people if Kiev did such a thing, while not endearing anyone in the peninsula to the Kiev based government. Kiev would prefer to have the world view this purely as an issue of sovereignty; introducing questions about the ethnic makeup of the area poses a decent argument for self determination, which Kiev would like to avoid. Of course, none of this condones Russia's actions, but someone needs to tell RT that, as they continue to spout their propaganda.