Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
I watched the whole of it. He said what he said whatever may follow or whatever effect it was meant to produce. The fact holds: at 7 a.m. February 23 he proclaimed he "was bringing the Crimea home" on which he decided the night before. And you said I was lying. Your reading of his words again smacks of weaseling out you had applied interpreting his "soldiers' backs" phrase although you seem to dislike that tactics so much.
You are lying. I'm just not sure if you're doing it on purpose or if you aren't fully aware of it.

Transcript from 1:50 to 3:12 (Putin speaking continuously)

"At 7am, (February 23rd) I've told to my 4 associates: The situation in Ukraine has turned out in such a way that we are forced to begin work on returning Crimea to Russia. Because we can not let the territory and the people there adrift under steamroller of nationalists. And I have set certain tasks and outlined what needs to be done and how. And I have to stress right away, that we would only do it in case that we are absolutely certain that people that live in Crimea want it themselves. We had to give a chance for people to express their opinion. That was our goal, frankly speaking. I thought to myself, that if people want it, so be it. They would have certain additional rights, wider autonomy, but within Ukraine. So be it than. But if they want to go the other way, we can not let them down."