[canuck_conservative]

So why does this binary thinking still prevail in the Western public discourse?

Because you're comparing apples and oranges, that's why

Serbia was clearly committing atrocities that justified action, while Russia had no justification for invading

see, that's the difference

[NorseViking]

In fact, the justification is perfectly identical, except in the case of Serbia most of the evidence of wrongdoing was false. In the case of Ukraine, the official statements of their official regarding “subhuman” Donbas population are enough to draw conclusion.