epends on your values. This will be a long answer, and it may or may not answer your question. Prepare for a plethora of paragraphs.

The situation is deep and confusing, and you won't find anything too comprehensive in any one answer, but the conflict stems largely from two issues that have been building up for a while: the West's struggle to contain a reemerging Russia, and the identity crisis in Eastern Europe.

After the collapse of the USSR, one of the most powerful countries in the history of the world, Cold War tensions had seemingly ended. The “big baddy” of American propaganda had been knocked out, and the glories of freedom and democracy could now reach Russia. But this was not viewed so optimistically​ by the Russian people, who still - understandably - dislike Gorbachev for breaking apart the Soviet Union. Many former citizens of the USSR (not just those living in Russia) yearn for the old days of national pride and might.

Russian President Vladimir Putin knows this, and he's been flexing Russia's military muscles and standing up to the West more because he knows that this display of strength will be popular with his people. Make no mistake - Putin has done a lot for Russia, and I understand why so many revere him. Russia has made undeniable progress under him (although the over-dependence on oil is a serious problem for the Russian economy), and he seems to be a capable leader in most ways. But Russia's economic recovery must come with its recovery of national pride and activity on the world stage. One cannot expect a country as powerful as Russia to not get its hands dirty on a global scale.

This is where the rest of Eastern Europe comes in.

There was a plan, years ago, to establish a Novorossiya, or New Russia, in Eastern Ukraine, and integrate the land into Russia; many Eastern Ukrainians speak Russian and even identify as ethnically Russian as a result of closer proximity to Russia, and thus more extensive Russification over the years of Russian control. The Novorossiya plan fell through, but many in Eastern Ukraine never forgot the dream of rejoining their mother country; my family is from Belarus and Ukraine, and we live in America, but we have always considered ourselves Russian, to the point where many of my family members miss the USSR and are very nostalgic over it. Western Ukrainians, on the other hand, have generally​ preferred independence from Russia and greater sovereignty, and so, the conflict between East and West - Russia and Europe - has defined many of Ukraine's issues. As different leaders are democratically elected, different stances are taken regarding Ukraine’s preference for Russia or the rest of Europe.

This is not just a Ukrainian phenomenon, as Belarus has also chosen to maintain close relations with Russia, even going so far as to establish a union state. The economies and militaries of Russia and Belarus are fairly integrated, while the countries themselves remain separate. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians are all East Slavs, and together made up the medieval Kievan Rus, before this was torn apart, ruled by the Mongols and eventually replaced by the Duchy of Muscovy, or Moscow, and then the Russian Empire. These three peoples are historically very close.

As Russia grows in power and majesty, they want to reestablish their dominance of Eastern Europe and reintegrate the lands of peoples from the former USSR who want to rejoin Russia. The breakup of the Soviet Union was not very carefully planned and considered, and was quite chaotic. This left many disenfranchised and overlooked people all over Eastern Europe. Russia’s recent actions have many motives, but a major cause is the belief that Russia has a responsibility to be an active and powerful country that looks after its people, whether they live in Russia or not.

However, also understandably, the United States and its friends don't want their old rival “getting the band back together.” And they kept themselves busy during Russia's rebuilding, building alliances with former Soviet bloc countries and spreading NATO (whose very existence is due to the desire to contain Russia) all over Eastern Europe. Naturally, the US wants Ukraine to join NATO, and they would love to have all of those nice, shiny troops and bases right on the Russians’ doorstep.

So, during the “Russian invasion” of Crimea and the issuance of Russian troops into Ukrainian land, the United States supported the Ukrainian government and anti-Russian groups. Of course, the “Russian invasion” was actually a democratic vote, where the Crimean people voted overwhelmingly to rejoin Russia (the only reason that Crimea was even a part of Ukraine is that a Soviet premier gave it to Ukraine as a symbolic gift of friendship….ironic, isn't it?). Per a Russian agreement with Ukraine, there was already a Russian military base on Crimea (which has the famous Sevastopol fortress, well known for its stands during the Crimean War and WWII).

The actual violence comes from Eastern Ukrainian Separatists who, encouraged by the Russian annexation of Crimea and measures taken by the Ukrainian government to repress a Russian national identity in Ukraine (including suppressing the Russian language in Ukraine, which is commonly spoken in the east), are trying to create their own mini-republics separate from Ukraine, so that they can join Russia. These are not simple anarchists and terrorists who want to destroy Ukraine. They are at war with the Ukrainian government because they feel that their way of life, their culture and their nationhood are all being infringed upon, and they want to be ruled by their own people.

The Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine are already separated from Ukraine and trying to join Russia, while violence continues and ceasefires - often arranged in impartial Belarus - are continuously broken. Neither side should be villainized, and both sides have committed some barbarous acts. The US has been accused of aiding Ukrainian fascist nationalist groups, which are generally​ pro-Ukraine and anti-Russian. Whether the US is supporting them or not, these groups definitely exist, and they are dangerous. This conflict is still going on, and it’s devastating much of Ukraine. At the same time, Russia is supposedly supporting the pro-Russian rebels.

So, who is “right” in Ukraine depends on your own values, which is why it's such a divisive issue. Both sides have their reasons, as in any conflict, and these reasons are valid. Do the Eastern Ukrainian people have a right to self determination, to the point where they can secede and join Russia? Should democracy matter in this case? Should the Eastern Ukrainians disregard their Russian heritage and fight to protect a greater Ukrainian identity? Are the separatists heroes or terrorists? How should the Ukrainian government respond to widespread separatist sentiment? Does the Russian Federation have the right to get involved? These are not easy questions.

I am personally of the opinion that Eastern Ukrainians should be able to secede and join Russia, along with Crimea, as true democracy dictates. I completely respect the wishes of the Western Ukrainians to protect their autonomy, but I also believe that government derives its right to rule from the consent of the governed, and if the Eastern Ukrainian people want to rejoin their mother country, they should be allowed to do so. However, this would benefit Russia, so Russia's rivals have a strong incentive to stop the Ukrainian separatists and make it appear as if the entire crisis is purely the result of Russian aggression.