Conducting 'independent surveys' under military occupation in an authoritarian state is a thoroughly nonsensical proposition. In Russia, it is literally a crime (incitement of separatism) to question Crimea's status as rightfully Russian[0].

[0] https://meduza.io/cards/kak-v-rossii-presleduyut-za-prizyvy-...

I'm more inclined to trust nonpartisan independent Pew Research than your opinion. It's not the only independent survey either. There's also survey evidence from before the occupation.

Polls before occupation were in the range of 40-60%. If that's a good enough metric for conducting drive-by referenda under the watchful eye of heavily armed 'observers', someone tell the Catalonians and the Scots about this option (among many others).

My opinion, Crimea is a geopolitical nuance. Any cunning plan cooked up by a western leader that has to do with Crimea blows up in their face.

It is not a nuance, it is a terrible precedent showing that Russia can just come and take away a sovereign states territory. It is like a bigger tougher person coming into your home and starting to live there and there is nobody who is going to help you.

Yeah Russia took The Crimea from the Turks almost 250 years ago. Western designs on the place never have anything to do with the people that live there. Always blow up in their face to determent of the various peoples that live there.

it's not a precedent, kosovo was a precedent. there can't be two precedents. international law got fucked up back then.