Its always been about NATO. Its laughable for you to suggest that Ukraine was not even close to joining NATO as if somehow NATO's protocols are going to be the deciding factor. Protocols are just paper that the members can choose to change or ignore whenever it suits them. You can bet your life if Russia is foolish enough to agree to a cease-fire Ukraine will be admitted into NATO the very next day and you know that's true but pretend otherwise because you want to fool the world into believing that the most ravenously imperialist organization on earth today; NATO is a poor little misunderstood innocent lamb. In 2022 Russia had a choice, either keep appeasing warmonger USA/NATO knowing that NATO would complete it encirclement and cook up a pretext for war with Russia in 2 to 3 years time or put a stop to it there and then knowing that Finland and Sweden were de facto NATO members anyway and were always going to put on a drama act when Russia said enough is enough. Russia made the right choice; the courageous choice and put us on the road to the end of American hegemony and a more peaceful multi-polar world. Lets hope, if and when this war is over the world puts the USA/NATO/EU/UK war criminals on trial for greedily and unnecessarily putting the world at risk of a nuclear WW3
