Is there any proof of Putin wanting Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavian states, etc to be under Russian control other than speculation? Russia have stated they want Ukraine to be neutral and demiliterized so they can use them as a buffer against the West - makes reasonable sense.
"How exactly is Russia under threat from Ukraine, or NATO?" - by surrounding Russia with NATO military bases. How do you feel about China having naval bases all over the Pacific? I know Australia isn't happy about that so I can't imagine NZ being kosher with that.

@Tom81

Are Australia and New Zealand invading Fiji and Samoa?
“Liberating” the islanders by shelling their towns?

And no, No country has the right to use another country as a buffer against any one else. To demand another sovereign country to demilitarise so that you can feel “safe”.
How on earth do you think that is reasonable?

Since when has the Ukrainian people not have a choice with whom they align with?

And proof?
You want proof? Ever heard of South Ossetia? Till today Russia sees Finland as part of Russia and only left them alone on condition they do as they are told.
Reasonable to Finland?

No one was going to invade Russia. Would Russia’s SSBN’s suddenly stop working if the Ukraine join the EU?
Russia always had the ultimate defence.
Russia was never military threatened.
Russia lost the economic race and now tries to regain that through war.
The civil war in Ukraine only started after Russia armed and supported rebellion in Ukraine.

And no, before 2014. NATO membership was not the issue. It was not military. It was aligning with the EU, an economic issue.
That is why Russia interfered and forced the Ukrainian president to turn against his own parliament and cut ties with the EU.
That is what led to the Euromaiden protest.

@Hanno how much do you really know about Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people? Been there, spoken to anyone there or who has lived around it?
The EU kept Ukraine out of the EU, not Russia. Because Ukraine has been an overtly corrupt and failed state since the Soviet union died. There are way too many issues with Ukraine to list (many of which have been widely reported for almost a decade). What Russia has done by invading isn't the best solution (I don't think it's the optimum solution by their standards either), but Ukraine has far from clean hands in the process. But whatever, support the country that just wants to sooo hard have a place at the WEF table and advance their agenda if you feel the need.
"No country has the right to use another country as a buffer" - like Aus/NZ hasn't used the Pacific islands as a buffer against Chinese influence, right? Or do you think we supported them for altruistic reasons? Well I guess you shouldn't have any issues with the Pacific islands letting the Chinese build naval bases and have Chinese police there either since it poses no threat to Aus/NZ or it's territorial waters .

@Tom81
We have had this discussion many times now.

1. Don’t question me in person, I am not important. Question my statements and show me where I am wrong.

2. Since you asked, I spent some years in Europe research institute with many other researchers and PhD students. Several Ukrainians, Russians, Fins, Poles,Lithuania etc from the east and also from the west. We had many discussions about Ukraine, and the situation there among other things.
   Of course I am not all-knowing, however I do think I understand Ukrainian aspirations and the situation better than most.

3. I am well aware of all the issues in Ukraine (as I am aware of the issues in Russia etc) regarding corruption etc and foreign influence. I watched lots of videos and read many papers provided by the pro-Russian commenters here. Based on that I ask simple questions no one wants or can answer.

4. If the pacific peoples choose China it is their choice and we as ANZAC failed to win the cultural and economic fight. It will not give us the right to invade and kill the Pacific Islanders. Of course we are concerned and hence we need to continue to make sure it does not happen economically and culturally.

5. I have no agenda other than seeking the truth and I have never supported the WEF.

@Hanno firstly, I don't question you as a person - I question your personal knowledge and understanding of Ukraine; it's history, culture, it's social and political wheeling and dealings. Especially since the Euro-maidan events and the formation of the Minsk agreement.
Secondly I question why the people who could see through the media lies during the Trump admin, the blm riots, the voter fraud and covid scam are now trusting the same media narratives when it comes to Ukraine. As if the is the one subject they're going to tell the truth about.
Thirdly, if you're aware of what the WEF is trying to implement, have you thought about why they're supporting Ukraine so much and trying to exacerbate the conflict and pull more countries into it?
And finally, most of us who call out and criticize the Ukraine regime aren't pro-Putin or even particularly pro-Russia (despite the smears, which are similar in nature to 'anti-vaxxer' labels put on people who refused the covid jab) - we're just against the corrupt Ukrainian regime, period. If we seem sympathetic to the Russian side, maybe that's because Russia hasn't done anything that the US hasn't or wouldn't do in a similar situation. The last 30 years of history proves that.