I don't think Russia gets it. These are militias. They have to disarm.

I have no doubt Russia cannot order these groups around, but, it has a lot of clout with them. Russia can start to be effective in defusing this entire mess if they start to define what 'sincere' Pro-Russia means. Right now these rouge militias believe war is Pro-Russia. Is it or not?

The national military has to be returned to the Ukraine. Right now the militias are autonomous authorities focusing on enforcing a particular political structure. Their presence in the country has absolutely nothing to do with stability or defense. They have no capacity to produce a national defense, they defend oligarchs. 

The only thing preventing these militias from attacking each other for power was Viktor Yanukovych. Amazingly he had control. Through pure stupidity Yanukovych held control while any of these oligarchs could order their militias to attack the presidential compound. There was nothing preventing that except the cash flow Yanukovych provided to them.

It is safe to say that right now, today, the Ukraine lacks a cohesive national defense and has a very shaky sovereignty. I doubt Russia wants any of that, does it?

Wed Mar 5, 2014 5:42am EST
 
(Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister SergeiLavrov (click here) said on Wednesday that Moscow cannot order pro-Russian armed groups in Ukraine's Crimea region to return to their bases because they are "self-defence" forces, not Russian soldiers.

Western states are discussing a potential resolution to the crisis ignited by Russian intervention in Crimea under which Russia would pull its forces back to their bases on the Black Sea peninsula and allow in international monitors....