[red-iron-pine]

there is land and there is land.

most of the russian land is frozen tundra, and even if global warming improves that slightly it'll still be mostly to largely useless.

crimea, meanwhile, is a highly desirable warm water port that has been the subject of many conflicts throughout the ages.

ukraine is a breadbasket and produces 40%-50% of the food of all of russia but with 3.5% of the land. a considerable number of soviet era heavy industry was there, such as the azon steel plant, and it is the gateway to europe, the black sea, and anatolia.