My prediction for Ukraine/Russia ... if Russia invades any more than it has at present, it will set her back twenty years. It's trading partners will be China, Cuba, North Korea, Syria, et al. Putin must know this. My prediction ... if Putin invades Ukraine proper (i.e. the western half ... west of the Dnieper), sayonara Putin. The oligarchs in Russia will pull strings to install a President with more business interests in mind. After all, business is business. Russia has come too far to go back this way. If life is good (or better, anyway ... pretty much for everybody), why go back ? For example, on my most recent trip to SPb (St. Petersburg), Nov, 2012, I noticed all of the new business developments, stores, etc around Pulkovo airport. Un freaking believable. Putin is right about one thing, though. Russia needs to expand. Not geographically, however, but economically.
We could choke Russia out economically in the blink of an eye, but our nazi president is more interested in turning America into what Russia and East Germany once were. Moreover, our "king" is a spineless little nazi that NO ONE in the World respects, or fears.