Are you implying NATO is just the US? That no other NATO nation has sway, and that they are all US puppet?

NATO is and has always been an extension of the US political apparatus. NATO is a void husk of ghouls initially staffed by ex-nazis like Adolph heusinger.
NATO is allegedly a defensive alliance but has so far only been involved offensively.
When has NATO ever gone against the will of the US?

This isnt a US vs Russia issue. Its the majority of Europe as well.

The current Ukrainian government was installed by the US, the US president and his predecessor are both embroiled in corruption scandals in Ukraine, and the US is sending an inordinate amount of resources to Ukraine. The US is fighting a proxy war.

tend to trust them as a collective before Id trust Russia.

Why would you trust what Europe does more than Russia? Why is your skepticism a one way street? I trust neither, I observe the material conditions and the verifiable facts. That is what should lie to grounds for your belief, not vibes about "slavs being untrustworthy" or whatever. Why exactly does it matter how many parts a population is parted up in? Would you trust the Russian federation more if it was The Russian federation and it's puppet states?
Besides - Far more countries are netural/pro-russia than opposed.

Again. I think you are being reductive and turning this into a US bad issue when the US isnt even the most important player here.

You keep coming back to this statement, this is now the third time I argue it. As before I do not think it is a question of "us bad", however it is striking to me that you 1. Part this up into "good" and "bad" sides 2. Insist you're on the "good" side 3. Discount any notion of nuance as wanting to make this about the us.
Seeing as how you keep returning to this way of dismissing me and seeing how you choose to avoid answering my questions It is clear you are not actually interested in a good faith discussion.

America centric.

As I've clearly illustrated it is about the US. You refusing to engage with this point does not make it less true.

Edit: you keep speaking of nuance, yet I see none from you. You reduce this to a question of right and wrong, good and bad, and then declare "were on the good side". How is this nuanced? How is it nuanced to complain about added context? The fact that I am unwilling to mindlessly go "putler bad, zlava Zelensky" somehow makes me the unnuanced one? The fact that I think questions of NATO encroachment, breaches of treaties and economic interests are relevant to the discussion is somehow unnuanced?
Your willingness to reduce it all to "invasion wrong, all other doesn't matter" is somehow nuanced? Please do some self-crit.