That is a very myopic view. How is invading a sovereign nation for the sake of an ethnic Russian minority that already had autonomy, a "nationalist action"? It did nothing but harm to both Ukraine and Russia. Nationalist respect national borders.
Putin's internal policies have nothing nationalist about them. For example, Russia is flooded by cheap labor from Asia, with ritualistic lamb slaughter and bottom-up communal prayers to Mecca taking place on main streets in Moscow.
In the western third of Ukraine, the majority are Russian speakers. It is the western part, around Lyov, that is truly European.