I'd go along with that. There is been some development since the OP, that is Russki ship was spotted in the area.
They do exactly the opposite as they say. That doesn't discount their actions. He did invade Ukraine, he would have long invaded the Baltics if it weren't for NATO. It's not complicated.
NATO warmongers instigating World War 3. Extreme liberals supporting Joe Biden and the NATO soy boy leaders best pray, we do not have a nuclear war. None of you, your families and children will be safe when it happens. Joe Biden and around 200 of his close advisers will be locked up in a bunker and be safe from nuclear explosions for a couple months atleast. When their food and water runs out, they have to come out. Then, they have to deal with the radioactive waste and intense radiation, look for food and water to drink. They will not live for long with the intense radiation and poisoned water sources. There is justice after all. We will all be dead including, those dreaming of a New World Order Utopia.
And Russia always does what it accuses others of doing. They say NATO wants to split Russia. In fact, Russia wants to split Ukraine. They say Ukraine are Nazis. In fact, Russia are the Nazis (Putin even quoted a well known Nazi in his speech today). They say US wants to destroy Russia. In fact, Russia wants to destroy Ukraine. They say US wants to install a puppet government in Ukraine. In fact, Russia wants to install a puppet government in Ukraine (and did so in the annexed territories). They say US wants to destabilize the world. In fact, Russia destabilizes the world. ...
I'm sure there's a name for what you're describing. You expect other people have the same motivations as you when it's not typically the case. NATO splitting Russia is the opposite what it wants because its whole point is to counter Soviet Union and now Russia. We also know that ever since Soviet times Moscow has been running programs in US and west to cause social havoc, identity politics being a large part of this. It's just another form of divide and conquer. Authoritarian minded Russians understand that the weakness of democracy is pluralism. They've always used this to attack the west and are trying it now as well. The weakest thing any western country can do at this point is start going soft on the Russian regime, that would literally be a gift for Putin. So it's entirely correct that Europe is getting strict on Hungary, any such little Putin helpers should be rooted out.
This is where we fundamentally disagree. Why would Russia want to expand? Putin could have easily annexed dozens of other regions. He did not. Not sure what's up with this painting the devil on the wall regarding Russia. Most have such obscured opinions and thoughts of Russians. Have you been there? I have and most metropolitan areas are flooded with young, pretty cool, and real fun loving people who come across as hard working and sincere. Even remote regions, including Siberia are populated by incredibly generous and hospitable people, at least those whom I have met. Then about the government, which region has Russia occupied and expanded to that really did not deserve it or did not provoke Russia? And please don't mention Chechnya or Afghanistan. Ukraine is and was a hotpot for drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the mafia in general. They countless times sabotaged Russian gas pipelines and at times decided to just not settle their bills with Russia anymore, you know, just for giggles. Suddenly the entire woke leftist work is crying out how the evil empire dared to march into the Ukraine.
Where have you been all this time? You haven't been following the news at all? What regions could have Russia annexed? He already did the same annexation treatment to Georgia, Kazakhstan and others were likely next on the list. Throughout history Russia has illegally annexed lands of Japan, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and others. And I'm talking about peacetime here, ignoring wartime gains. Putin has on numerous times said that he'd restore the Soviet Union if he could. Most Russians also don't view countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine as real and the cultures are a joke to them. I've been to Russia but more importantly I've grown up in an area that's ~50% Russian. Visiting Russia doesn't make you understand them at all, living with them does so more. What you don't get is that they want a strong leader at ANY cost. They don't seem to mind if someone sends them to die for the leaders own ego. You talk about Siberia, those people aren't even ethnic Russians. Eastern half of Russia is mostly non-Russians. Ukraine certainly has a lot of criminal elements but a newsflash for you, so does Russia. The country is powered by corruption. And any amount of corruption justifies invasion? If that's your standard then Russia should have started with Africa, why not the Philippines? Invade them because they're corrupt. An odd argument you made. The pipeline was on Ukrainian land, if Russia did have an issue with payments then they were free to seek alternatives and they did. Legally Estonia and Finland can close the gap in the Finnish gulf, AFAIK that means NS1 and NS2 are not guaranteed to remain Russian/German.
So, where does this leave us? Corrupt mafia style government invades another mafia controlled nation. Curtains close, show is over, move on, who cares... By the way Japan was never invaded nor annexed by Russia. If you speak of the few islands between Hokkaido and Russia that was and still is disputed territory. I would not count that as an invasion. Neither do I care what happened in 1913 to Estonia over a hundred years ago. I am talking about after the cold War, and unprovoked. Don't you see what Georgia and Ukraine and a number others have all in common? They were promised NATO membership. I support 100% how Russia does everything to not have any current or future NATO member border it's sovereign territory. The US claimed such right and so why should Russia not?
People "falling" out of windows. Putin's critics poisoned on foreign soil. Politicians and protestors jailed or just vanish. Former Russian mafia running the majority of the country as Putin's oligarchs now. Colonialism everywhere. Wars. Oppression. Bloody invasion of Ukraine. Targeting and killing civilians, women and children. Torture of innocent people. A planned genocide. Stealing territories Putin doesn't even control, and while his army is on the run. Rigged elections everywhere. Voting at gunpoint. War crimes. Dictatorship, Fascism, Nazis. Hundreds of thousands of regular people, mostly non-Russian ethnicities, sent as cannon fodder into a lost war. Threatening with a nuclear holocaust... I guess, someone has to be "kind of special" - to put it mildly - to love, defend and/or support Putin and his nice country. But there were people who loved Hitler and Nazi Germany as well, and there still are. Mankind is a crazy species. Some of it.