Does President Putin want Ukraine back?

A Ukrainian soldier watches through a periscope at fighting positions on the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels near Donetsk. (AP)

Tensions are rising over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, with growing violations of a cease-fire and a massive Russian military buildup near its border with the region.

Ukraine and the West said Russia sent troops and weapons to the east to support the separatists. Moscow has denied those claims and insisted that Russians fighting alongside the rebels went there on their own.

The armed rebels in the mostly Russian-speaking eastern region seized government buildings and proclaimed “people's republics” in the Donetsk and the Luhansk regions, and the Ukrainian military and volunteer battalions moved to put down the unrest.

Russia has argued that it's free to deploy its forces on its territory and sternly warned the government in Kyiv against using force to reclaim control of the rebel-held territory east where more than 14,000 people have died in seven years of fighting.

 

Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until its 1991 collapse and I’m guessing  Putin wants it back. If we don’t watch out, as we come out of one war that has nothing to do with Australia, we’ll be asked to contribute to another.