Hmm, you claim in the first paragraph you have looked at the war from many angles and through many lenses but it is hard to think you have ever looked through it from Ukrainian or Eastern European eyes if you can write this. Who in Ukraine wanted to 1) cede at least 20% of the country to Russia, 2) Agree to disarm so Russia could dictate whatever they want in the future 3) Agree to not join NATO so they would never have help and be at the mercy of Russia's whims and 4) Agree to not associate or join the EU but rather join the pathetic Eurasian Economic Union dominated by Russia? If all the Ukrainians wanted to join the Russian sphere of influence they just had to say so, who would have stopped them? The reality is that there was and is a strong consensus to not be a puppet of Russia and to not be bullied by Russia. They have experienced that in living memory and don't want it again. That is why they are fighting so hard, why countries like Poland are so supportive, and why countries like Finland joined NATO. I encourage you to read up on the history of Eastern Europe and investigate what Ukrainians and other Eastern Europeans think about this conflict.