I agree with just about everything you said. I still blame the guy conducting the invasion, air assault, and advancing tank battalions.
But your logic is similar to the story of the guy who slaps his wife. Then says “NOW look what you made me do”. I will not blame the non-invading forces for “killing every Ukrainian or taking them prisoner”. I will blame the side that actually does it.
I will blame Russia. I will blame that scum-bag KGB pinko named Vladimir Putin.
I hope the Ukrainians humiliate him in an historical manner.
That is an honest, reasoned opinion that I can respect even though I do not agree. I appreciate it.
I don’t like Putin one bit.
And, from his/Russia’s perspective,
o The West burned Moscow to a crisp. (Napoleon, 1812)
o The West (Britain and France) with the Ottoman Turks beat up on the Russians in the Crimean War (1853-56). Russians saw themselves as protecting Christian minorities in Ottoman lands.
o The West (Germany) beat up on Russia in WW I, to the tune of 2.5 million dead Russians.
o The West (Germany again) invaded Russia in what became The Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, killing over 25 million Russians.
And the Russians see NATO as basically us and GERMANY. Do you think Leopards on the Russian border is somehow going to fly? Because that’s what they perceive would come with Ukraine in NATO.
Our woke foreign policy establishment is clueless about the historic perspective. This is extremely dangerous with a nuclear well-armed adversary.