>>513868527 (OP)
ukraine got coup’d a while ago which led to a pro-western government being installed, ukraine’s unique geographic position in regards to russia would pose a very real threat to russia’s national security, especially if a foreign force established a dominant position there, ukraine also had the second largest army in europe which would have massively bolstered nato’s manpower in the region. On another note the black sea is a very important region to russia, having access to it like they do from crimea is very useful, having a land bridge to crimea is even better, hence the demands for donetsk and lugansk. everything about this war is centred around trying to gain the upper hand in the region despite what redditors and poltards will try to tell you, one side believes russia is fighting to save the russian’s in the donbass and defeat the evil nazis while the other side thinks russia (largest country in the world btw) wants a bit of extra land and to genocide ukrainians because “muh evil pootin”.