The fact that the President of Russia has now recognized the so-called People's Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states really only means that Russia continues to rule over these two small areas in the same way as before.
But now Russia can claim that its leaders can formally ask for military assistance to protect themselves from a fabricated threat from Ukraine.
A large part of the population has now received Russian citizenship and Russia considers itself entitled to act militarily to help them.
The leader of the "Donetsk People's Republic", Denis Pushilin, claims that Russian recognition also covers the entire Ukrainian counties of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Those areas are far larger than the "People's Republics" and are under the control of the Ukrainian democratic government.
It's an odd thought to say the least.
But perhaps it is an ominous signal that the Russian military is ready to invade even larger parts of Ukraine.
Do not see Ukraine as a country
President Putin's speech on Monday shows that he does not see Ukraine as a country at all.
Not Belarus either.
Putin is simply trying to rewrite history.
And it can probably work for at least part of the Russian population.
Most of us know that what he says is not true.
The basis for Putin's attempt to rewrite history seems to be to make Russia appear as a kind of cradle of civilization.
There is little of the same thought about the other territories that Russia occupies, or at least in practice controls.
Transnistria, which has been controlled by the Russian military and mafia for many years, is part of Moldova.
Abkhazia for many years and then South Ossetia.
Both in Georgia but completely controlled by Russia.
Crimea occupied Russia in 2014 and the wars in eastern Ukraine were also started by Russia.
The intention is that neither Ukraine, Moldova nor Georgia should join the EU or NATO.
So now what?
Pause maybe.
A peaceable life
I have not been admitted to the "People's Republics" in eastern Ukraine in four years.
So I can not now in a good way judge what people feel there.
But that life is papal there is clear.
The Russian-speakers in Ukraine who live near the "contact line" that I have spoken to for the past two months say that they are really happy to live in a democratic (deficient) Ukraine and escape the misery that people on the other side live in.
Only Putin probably knows what comes next, if even he.
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Hard to keep up with the turns in the Ukraine crisis.
Here are five things you should know to keep up with the conversation.
Photo: AP / TT