I had not seen this perspective, and it certainly adds another ingredient in this witches' brew. Good article, and I agree that this is extremely worrisome. I don't think there is anything the US can do about it, and I hope we don't try.

There is an assumption being made that may or may not be incorrect. To wit: Russian wants a mini-state in the Crimea. I think that Russia wants the Crimea. Period. If they are successful in keeping the Crimea on their possession they will annex it just as Germany did the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia 1938.
This presents a totally different set of problems and counter objectives for the UN, NATO and Ukraine. Do they go to war to return an ethnic Russian population to Ukraine? That could be the final real gut busting question that must be answered.