The British were after Crimea 180 years ago. (see charge of the light brigade) It's a big prize. And it had been Russian from the 1700s until 1956.
If we're going to go back that far -- it was all part of the Crimean Khanate from 1443 up until 1783 (not 1700 as you know perfectly well), whose border extended up to the Dnipro, all around the Azaq deñizi (which later occupiers would call the Sea of Azov) and then some.
So clearly none of the occupying powers since then have any legitimacy.
That is not to excuse any Russian behavior either.
No, you're just trying to minimize it, and use it as a wedge to get some emotional talking points in.
If we're going to go back that far -- it was all part of the Crimean Khanate from 1443 up until 1783 (not 1700 as you know perfectly well), whose border extended up to the Dnipro, all around the Azaq deñizi (which later occupiers would call the Sea of Azov) and then some.
So clearly none of the occupying powers since then have any legitimacy.
That is not to excuse any Russian behavior either.
No, you're just trying to minimize it, and use it as a wedge to get some emotional talking points in.