Some Russians might regard Ukraine as part of their territory, except its not.
Ukraine's territory has been fought over for centuries as has much of Europe. If anybody who has ever controlled part of it could just step forward and take it back now then there would be a long line of claimants. Poland would probably have the strongest claim since they controlled most of it for the longest. Then how about Lithuania and Austria? Can they all just invade because they had done it before and spread their seed?
If previously controlling a territory long ago and desiring to do so again and relive the glory days of empires previously consigned to history is okay then I guess the Italians, Germans, French and British etc can rub their hands together and start to celebrate. In fact maybe we all need to worry about Mongolia since they controlled much of Ukraine, Russia, Asia, and eastern Europe. Can they just decide tomorrow that they feel like they miss it all and want it back. They had most of it long before anybody else right?
Ukraine was a sovereign state when the Bolsheviks took control of it and it then joined the Soviet Union until the USSR dissolved 70 years later. Whilst it was controlled by Ukrainian communists and a member of the USSR, the Russians didn't claim it to be Russian territory and respected it to be a member country within the union. Don't you find it odd that they respected it as a separate country whilst that country it was in the USSR and only now do Russians suddenly think that they have some ancient claim to the territory as part of Russia itself, and not only to the territory they previously controlled but all of it including territory previously controlled by Austria and Poland etc?
The problem with former Empires is that the people of those lost empires often feel like they were great once and its been taken away from them. As if they would be bigger, better people if others were forced to be under their control. Even though most living today never experienced or were part of any such empire. Some feel that its their birthright to dominate others and subjugate others.
Yes some Russians may feel like that but then ask yourself what propaganda these people are fed. Do they know the truth about history and how the Ukrainians have been treated as the hands of the Russians or have they been fed fear stories about Ukraine being full of Nazis and planning to invade Russia? Ridiculous stuff like that.
If Russia does take control of Ukraine and the Russian people suddenly feel like parts of Poland are close to their hearts and invade there next, what then? I'm sure their feelings for other people's land and resources won't stop there.
And as LD said, the Russians might well celebrate the defeat of the Nazis as all of us living in freedom today should however Russia can hardly claim to have been an innocent bystander. They colluded with the Nazis to split Poland and at the outset of the war let the Nazis do the initial dirty work whilst Russia took most of the spoils of the invasion. When your partner in crime later turns on you and wants all the proceeds of the crime, are you suddenly a victim?
