Didn't anyone in the EU/US or Ukraine predict the Russian aggression? Russia is an agressive country, did no decision maker anticipate this? Did they actually believe Russia (Putin) would not do anything and just sit and watch the opportunity? What do you think?

No one was going to "gotten troops in East Ukraine" even if Putin said that he is going to attack straight out. Its to "expensive". If EU wanted - they could have sent troops right now, there is nothing stopping them doing that. Or they could help financially more, mind you 11 million Greece was given 240 billion Euros and then most of that was written off. And EU is making noise about giving 15 billion euros to 42 million Ukraine that has a war on its hands with Russia. It is indeed a power play when no side actually cares about Ukraine - you got that right.

The EU response is managed by Angela Merkel who understands Soviet/KGB thinking better than most having grown up in East Germany. Ukraine left the Soviet Union because it didn't want to be a poor country. Putin is trying to recreate the old USSR by force. The USSR was a lot stronger than Putin's Russia and couldn't do that. The biggest threat Putin could really make to any state is to invite it to join its impoverished and corrupt regime. What Putin wants is a war of words and some fighting. He is grandstanding to some pretty extreme fascist elements in Russia. If he can get America to react he can claim the US is an equal enemy. He seriously misjudged the reality. He had to sign a pretty humiliating deal with China to prevent total collapse. It looks like he will have to sign an even more humiliating deal with India. Against Ukraine, there is no certainty of a Russian military victory and he knows that. Russia struggled against Chechenia. Angela Merkel is banking on the fact that Putin's confrontational politics only looks good against other dick slammers. If he faces economic ruin (as in someone taking his toys away) he will look like a sulky child. The problem is not in under-rating Putin, but over rating him. He is a minor regional player causing trouble. Yes he can cause trouble in Ukraine but it has already trashed the economy. His economic threats against the EU are laughable. Why should Russia have any influence on the Ukraine? It can't even run its own economy. Putin is living a 1950's fantasy. He can wake up at any time and try and act like a real leader. His "new Stalin" approach has no merit in today's world. In the 1950's people queued for cabbage. They are unlikely to want to go back to that time. Putin has a clear choice. It isn't up to the West to rule Russia. If Russia wants a return to Soviet politics it will have it. You can be certain the Ukrainians will love the "new Stalin" as much as they loved the old one, which is not very much.

I think the Western leaders didn't expect Putin to be so decisive. Even so, it's likely they just thought they can't lose much with the Maidan. Indeed Russia hasn't won this for now. Maybe in the long run the situation will play in Russia's favor, who knows?