If you look at the historical maps you will find that Ukraine was part of Russia since 1754 and until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Why do you find it difficult to understand why Russians would not want to be Russians considering what the Ukraine Nazis were and are doing to them? Putin has apologized to those beleaguered people for not acting much sooner than he did.
Earlier it was part of Poland/Lithuania. Perhaps Russia should step aside and let Poland and Lithuania retake Ukraine and Belarus. Of maybe we should let Mongolia retake Moscow. After all, it was once a part of the Mongol empire. Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states were also parts of Russia. Does this give Russia the right to invade them?
Why do you find it difficult to understand why Russians would not want to be Russians…
Other than Crimea, the areas occupied by Russia have Ukrainian majorities, not Russian. In the case of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, 82% and 70% Ukrainian majorities respectfully. Are we to believe that 90% of them voted to join Russia?
…considering what the Ukraine Nazis were and are doing to them?
The claim of a genocide directed against the ethnic Russians in Donbas is pure fiction. Indeed, the Russian occupation in 2014 occurred to quickly for this to be a justification.