There will be a new Iron Curtain. A new Wall. This new Wall will be to protect Russia from Europe's schemes and plots and hedonism and immorality.
Russia believes in God.
Europe is Atheist.
You are correct. Russia (meaning Putin) doesn’t want Europe. The war in Ukraine is merely about where the new Iron Curtain will be. It’s about borders.
Russia (meaning Putin) wants Russia to be the next North Korea. Only a lot bigger. No freedom of the press. An established church. No independently-elected governors. A centrally-planned and regulated economy.
The word for this arrangement is national socialism. Alternately, fascism. Russia (under Putin) isn’t communist. Communism doesn’t work. Indeed, North Korea doesn’t work and, so, has to sell its young men for food.
Lenin found this out and, so, made his compromise with economic reality called the New Economic Policy. Stalin was bailed out by us, through lend lease during WWII. The Soviet Union collapsed.
But, fascism kind of works. Once we get the border of Russia and Ukraine figured out, we can wish Russia good luck and be done with it.