Duped by the west into wanting protection from their imperialist neighbor? I wonder why they'd want that? 🤔

America being an evil empire doesn't make Russia justified in throwing half a million lives down the drain like it's nothing. Ukraine was never expected by anybody to join NATO until Crimea, and even then, most of the West would've preferred neutrality for Ukraine. It was a redline for most of NATO as well, because they knew it was more trouble than it was worth. Wannabe imperial powers like Turkey play their own game, even within NATO.

US bad ≠ Russia good. Russia is very, very bad actually.