I don’t understand why people can’t see the legitimate Russian concerns here. The Great Patriotic War is still a very large, looming presence in every Russian mind. Take a look at the map. Ukraine provides the same route of attack that Hitler took. There was an equilibrium to the Warsaw Pact/NATO situation. Forces were relatively equal and the threat to either side accepted. Take the forces of East Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Baltic States, Bulgaria and change their side and you’ve destroyed the equilibrium that has prevented WWIII. Once that equilibrium was destroyed, the NATO Alliance started a “domino effect” recruitment of extremely hostile Russian border states. Ukraine would put NATO in the very belly of Russia. There will no Ukrainian government aligned with the West. It would be unconscionable for Putin to allow this to happen. Putin or any Russian strongman to come will fight NATO, if necessary, to keep NATO out of Ukraine. Any unbiased eye can see that.
Truth! Nobody has to like Putin to see that he has a reason for this action.