What are the Russians up to?

As the 'heat increases' in the Eastern Ukraine there is increasing anxiety about the behaviour of Mr Putin and Russia with many of their citizens fighting in the region. What can be done to help the beleaguered people? Obama has categorically ruled out any military invention. So are all his utterances only 'saber rattling' when he he says that he takes the crisis seriously? 100 years after the start of WW1 and we could be on the eve of another potential catastrophe. Will the 'lights go out again over Europe'? How is it possible to be in this political and military situation again? The separatist are trained and helped by the Russians. What is Putin up to? Russia has never come to terms with an end to the 'cold war' and loss of international prestige when is was a 'global power'. Its now a relatively poor nation compared to its immediate neighbours now part of the European Union and Nato. This has understandably upset Russia as their 'sphere of influences' declines. If we can see it from their 'point of view' then their reactions are rational and explicable? Until they feel reassured that there 'territorial integrity' is not threatened then the crisis will continue.
There is a real dilemma for the Nato countries headed by the US. What to do about Putin's policy and their intervention? The Nato conference in Wales that starts next week will seek to address this growing crisis, but they must come up with an 'overall strategy' that sets out explicit goals and consequences for Putin. The problems in Iraq and Syria with IS are small 'beer in comparison'.