No. Independent does not mean "Neutral." Independence is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for neutrality. Neutrality can be general or specific to specific issues. States that are neutral do not, in general, form alliances and partnerships with other States. The NATO nations are not neutral. Non-neutrality is a precondition for joining NATO. Since the revolution that sent Yanukovych packing, Ukraine has been very vocal about wanting to look Westward rather than Eastward. They have expressed a desire to become a part of NATO and the EU economic community. This is NOT a neutral position.
If you were not alive during the Cuban missile crisis, at least read up about it. Nuclear war must never happen, or we are all fucked. Poke the unstable Putin bear too sharply and that madman may unleash it, because a first strike MUST be met with a retaliatory strike. That's just how these wargames always play out.
Not sided with Russia. But if tjey were desperatr their army would be in the cities not in uncontested terrain.
Nuclear war has already happened once. That precedent has been set. Putin wont be the first leader to use them. What must not ever happen is 'Global Thermonuclear War'. I was watching a video where a nuclear expert was being interviewed. He said Russia might use tactical nukes against Ukraine to end the war if Putin deemed it necessary. The interviewer was shocked. And said 'no one has done that kind of thing before'. And the Nuclear expert reminded him that the US had done it. Then the expert said: the main difference would be that back then in 1945, nobody else had Nukes. Now countries friendly to Ukraine do have them. So there is a risk of retaliation. So if it came down to it, Putin might not have the balls to finish off Ukraine the way the US did the Japs.
U.S./Russia, North Korea/South Korea (w/U.S. backing), India/Pakistan. Which is why Iran desperately wants Nukes to balance the Israeli threat. If Iran gets one watch how quickly targeted assassinations/computer hacking/etc by Israel stops.