The best path for the people of Ukraine is independence.
There are zero people trying to maneuver them into an alliance with either the Russians or the EU who do not have an agenda detrimental to the Ukrainians.
They have all kind of dishonest but transparent excuses to try to argue for pushing them one way or another.
You are probably right, but it will be a very difficult path.
Yes but at the moment Russia has huge influence over Ukraine, closer ties (no full membership, it is totally unrealistic in short and medium term) with EU would counterbalance that and actually make them more independent. “Ukraine should stay independent/they should stay away from homo EU” is the line of Putinists and in practice it means “Ukraine should stay under Russian boot”.