I'm never very comfortable with the whole "territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected" thing. I've spent the last three years arguing against the territorial integrity of the UK, Spain, Russia, Mali, Sri Lanka, China, the USA, Canada, France, Belgium... the list goes on.
Granted the Ukrainian Crisis is far more about "territory" and territory being annexed by another nation (Russia), not nationalist movements in favour of minorities like the Tatars.
Well, look at it this way: foreign countries (in this case Russia) must respect a country's (in this Ukraine's) territorial integrity. I'm pretty sure views on Crimea going independent or even joining Russia would have been a bit more favourable if the whole thing went down differently.
After all you're not in favour of achieving Scottish independence by France unilaterally invoking the Auld Alliance and invading the UK.
There was TV and internet reports of ukranians(natives, not russians with passports) submitting vote for secession and explaining their rationale. It's just escaped western media and I don't see a reason to repost it, because it's going to be axed immediately as a propaganda. Hint - pension and average wage size.
We need to comply with the idea that both eastern and western media brainwash us equally. "West" somehow thinks they doesnt brainwashed at all and their media is crystal clean. It's not.
Problem is - I actually don't watch russian tv and I read news from both sides of story, and typical westerner don't have such a luxury. Let's put it bluntly - you are misinformed.
Take for example Russian-Georgian conflict. You have your side of story. Then ask me what's going to happen if you come to Abkhazia with "I am Georgian" sign strapped to you. Thats another part of story.
That's not exactly true. Media here have been reporting that some people in Eastern Ukraine want to secede, it's just a question how representative that is. Last I heard the government in Kiev is thinking about letting them have a referendum, presumably about federalism and more autonomy.
Same with Georgia, while some media blamed Russia, it was pretty clear that the Georgian government was not blameless either.