Russia massing troops on the border would be best suited if they were constructing refugee camps for the Russian speaking people that are currently in the Ukraine. Russia and Crimea could both be set up to temporarily house millions of refugees that have their stories documented as they cross and that testimony become a case at the ICC once hostilities are halted. Refugees and deportation are war crimes sp there will be a lot of trials and with the people that were to be persecuted all the time and money spent by the Ukraine Govt (NATO) will be at a standstill while Crimea and Russia are doing a brisk commercial business and taking care of refugees would become 'profitable' and once the Ukraine issue has the refugees go back home the camps would be given to Syria to use while reconstruction takes place in their country. All paid for by the UN humanitarian fund that is filled up from the war crimes charges that hit many OPEC Nations for Syria and the Ukraine will get funding from the EU countries that wish not to be sanctioned by Russia. (North America can flout their savings by having a construction party at home where 97% unemployment is the desired goal so time is freed up for spending the 'refund on the interest on the National debt', currently at $750T)

One way the locals could help Russia is to crank up anything that uses Russian NG. The current bill is now $11B and the EU will have to cough that up if they want NG supplies to continue now that China is offering to take all of Russia's 'surplus'.