What kind of journalist uses the words "spoiler alert - it wasn't" without providing any facts to support that claim? A smug one I suspect.

The writer talks of fake news but neglects to point out a few facts  that matter.

Under the basing agreement with Ukraine, Russia could place up to 25000 troops in Crimea  -  when Crimea declared first a separate state and  joined Russia, 16000 such troops were already stationed in Crimea . Not really an invasion was it?

Second , many Ukrainian officers either defected or were bribed  to go to  the Russian side leaving their equipment behind.

Third, no party including Canada made any effort to convince the Crimean people to stay in Ukraine  because the target wasn them anyway - it was only about punishing Putin.

If Ukraine is  the most corrupt country in Europe then why are we training their military and  giving them foreign aid?

Ukraine's weakness promotes intervention. To be clear that intervention has come from both the West and the East.