Thanks for the interesting comments. I have some questions for you - a bit blunt so apologies in advance. Just ignore if you don't want to answer.

I can understand that Russia may not appeal to you, and that you are patriotic about being Ukrainian.

However, the negative things in Russia are present in Ukraine too, aren't they? Corruption, oligarchs, poverty, possible lack of democracy (although it expresses itself quite differently in Ukraine, compared to Russia.

I am not being insulting or patronising, just comparing with other "language minorities" or border areas that I am familiar with. It's a complicated equation, which nationality people end up identifying with..... Clearly, in Eastern Ukraine - it varies from person to person.

I assume you were born in the USSR, so it's not like Ukrainian is your "birth" nationality, right? And you don't speak Ukrainian in everyday life... So it's hard to understand where the strong Ukrainian patriotism came from? Or is it more a case of "better the devil you know", i.e. Ukraine is marginally better than Russia (why?) Do you despise Russia for some reason?

What if you'd have stability, significantly more money in your pocket and the bilingual status of your region guaranteed as a Russian citizen? Would that be so bad? I am guessing that's how the miners, pensioners and others reason. Perhaps for you the economic aspect is irrelevant?

Doesn't it bother you, that foreign countries spur on an undemocratic coup d'etat in your country, that Ukraine doesn't seem to be able to manage its budget regardless of who is in charge and that people in equivalent cities in Russia are better off? I mean, it's been 22 years, and Russia is doing a lot better, at least in the big cities. Whatever else you can say about Belarus, it's stable and everyone has a job. But Ukraine...?!

I mean, Russia didn't start this, it just reacted to it. It was started by the Western Ukrainians mostly as I understand, and then re-inforced and spurred on by the EU and USA.

My country also has brother nations, and if things went totally down the drain with foreign meddling, undemocratic rulers, failed economy etc, I'd seriously look towards Norway, Finland or Denmark, swallowing my pride. The nationalism is not an issue, since the countries are so similar culturally, neither is language. Particularly if they guaranteed my language and offered a better living standard, I think I'd make the pragmatic choice. What am I missing here?

As for what Russia and Putin does - I think Putin has played the silence game for a very long time. Maybe he genuinely doesn't know to do.

And this situation is "damned if you do, damned if you don't" from the Russian perspective!

Particularly if, as Basil77 says, domestic opinion in Russia is now in favour of intervention and will think that Putin is a "pussy" if he doesn't.
Whereas in the international perspective, Putin would launch at the very least the start of the new Cold War, if not a real war.

it-Ogo, I guess the thought must have occurred to you:
What will you DO, if Russia actually goes in with troops on the ground?
Would you join some kind of resistance, physical, or other....
Or would you just say "here we go again, 3rd nationality and counting..." and get on with life.... Or look to move West within Ukraine, alt. emigrate...