Prior to the unrest, he has a friendly government in the Ukraine and de facto control over its policy. Now that government is overthrown and potentially another unfriendly EU and NATO member will be on his border. Even if he salvages the ethnically Russian East and Crimea, he will still lose 2/3rd's of the Country and have to deal with worse relations and possibly sanctions from the West. How does he win by that? Seems to me he is salvaging what he can from a stunning reversal of his fortunes in that country.
This message has been edited 1 time(s).