Russia Ukraine war, page-2117

Why do assume the Ukrainian people would automatically want to join NATO ?
Is it put to a vote of the people ?

There was a survey or referendum before 2014 and a clear majority of Ukrainians did not want to join NATO.

You think being "aligned with the west" would guarantee freedom or democracy ?
Ukraine had a democratically elected government which was overthrown by fascists financed by the US in 2014, which has a great deal to do with this present war.
2014 in Kiev was like Jan 6 in Washington, but it was a better organised coup and actually succeeded.

Moscow wasn't asking for direct rule over Ukraine. They wanted Crimea because of the naval base and Ukraine to stay neutral as a buffer between NATO and the southern Russian border.

Even without being in NATO the Ukrainian military was being armed and trained by US/NATO forces as an offensive military against Russia.
This whole disaster could have been avoided if the US had of negotiated with Russia over it's valid security concerns .
But they deliberately refused to negotiate.