All good points. Putin definitely worked with the Democrats on the smear campaign against Trump, with the media’s help. Putin is grateful to have Biden.
These are the critical missing pieces. This war occurred because of Biden's corruption and political weakness.
Putin is as corrupt as Biden but he maintains an aura of the Czar which grants him permission to rule with an iron fist. Biden's is a marshmallow glove. He has no punch, only persistently corrupt policies and procedures.
Biden is a sock puppet for Obama whose staff run the WH. Putting Biden's personality on Obama's policies has not been effective for the Democrats. Biden is not likeable. Obama is charming, demonic but charming. Biden is simply evil. There is no power, no strength in Biden.
Putin's putative belief that he ran circles around Trump is what kept him in line. Putin never trusted Trump. So he never crossed Trump.
Putin has treated Biden like a frightened puppy. He has run roughshod over Biden and made the US a laughing stock on the world stage.
Russia/Ukraine is a civil was between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Neither side is principled. Both are criminal at heart. Laying waste to their people and infrastructure is of little consequence to either side.
Taking sides for the EU and US is a fool's errand. Ukraine will fail because they will die to the last man and Russia has more men.
I like the clarification that Putin is anti-Communist. He does, however, acknowledge the Czarist authority of the king, indistinguishable from the leader of the Politburo. Putin may hate communism but he loves everything about it.