We have plans to triple our budget in the next 5 or so years to... 1.7% we have really dropped the ball. Our forces are a joke. I'm still not sure the f-35s we bought can even operate in our artic, where we need them the most.

From what I remember it started out as a civil conflict. Kyiv neglected Crimea and the local government and police became hostile. The separatists claimed some key infrastructure like the water ways and such but not too much happened. Then they got unbadged Russian troops to help. And soon afterward Russia just took the movement over and annexed the whole thing.