As sarky says, while NATO did promise not to expand East and has broken that promise the fact is that these countries chose to join the West to free themselves from Russian dictatorship (who wouldn't) and wanted protection from Russia. This is all about Vlad feeling his dick is too small. Russia has become an irrelevance and, contrary to Vlad's claims, the West had pretty much forgotten about Russia as a 'World Power' because even as a 'Red Menace' China has replaced them. Vlad wants to re-claim the lost 'Glory' of USSR empire and the countries that have escaped his clutches don't want it. They want self determination and the freedoms that Europe offer. Whatever your perception the Western model is far free'er than the Russian, Chinese, moslem world and African models. Western democracy is far from brilliant but the alternatives are truly shite.
I'm talking post USSR, after Ukraine was free of Russian dictatorship, the population of Ukraine was largely Russian friendly, after all going back a lot further in history, as I understand it they are largely the same people, the "Rus" in Russia coming from the Rus Vikings who settled in that area and had Kiev as their capital. In recent decades after the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine was subject to seduction and propaganda from the EU and the West, I believe the BBC for example may have had a hand to play in whipping up trouble in Ukraine, as they allegedly did in the Balkans and Syria. The west had obvious desires for Ukraine, but for what purpose, as the country served as a useful friendly buffer between east and west.
Don't get me wrong I'm not in anyway defending Putin, he is a corrupt dictatorial gangster, and he has invaded another sovereign nation, no doubt committing all kinds of atrocities, and he should be stopped and/or taken out.
You say that the Ukrainians want the same freedoms that Europe offers, many Europeans may argue that their supposed freedoms are disappearing at an alarming rate, and that perhaps they are not living in the "free" democracies that they are claimed to be, when they are ruled by unelected EU overlords in Brussels, and/or the WEF in Zurich. The election in the US some believe was highly suspect, so also perhaps not such a free democracy as it is claimed?
I just don't think it is wise to believe everything we are being told by governments and the media that have lied to us so many times in recent history, and acted like dictators themselves for the last two years, some like Trudeau, Ardern, Macron, and Morrison still doing so. And lets not forget Tony Blair who took the UK in to an illegal war, and suspicions that he had killed Dr David Kelly who tried to expose Blair's dodgy dossier, actions that might be described as being Putin like. Plus there is our invasions of not only Iraq, but Afghanistan, and the UK involvement in Libya, Syria, etc. Our own government has also been shown to be corrupt, with various scandals in recent times, e.g. expenses, cash for honors, lobbying, grooming gang cover ups, PPE contracts, CCP infiltration, etc.
I think my point is that all governments look highly suspicious at the moment, and this conflict has come at a convenient time for some western leaders, and seemingly has made the UK population totally forget the last two years of authoritarian control, expense, and propaganda dished out to them by their own government and media, who they are now suddenly believing like the gospel.
I admire the the Ukrainians for their bravery and resistance, and I abhor Putin and his actions, but can't help thinking they are being used to some degree
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