Thinking that this is purely about NATO is to miss the economic angle- Putin can’t have a European state bordering Russia that is outperforming Russia economically, most especially a state that many Russians consider to be made of other Russians.
And no amount of sacrificing Ukraine’s ability to choose its own fate is going to “fix” that unless it’s turned into a version of Belarus.
Thinking that this is purely about NATO is to miss the economic angle- Putin can’t have a European state bordering Russia that is outperforming Russia economically, most especially a state that many Russians consider to be made of other Russians.
And no amount of sacrificing Ukraine’s ability to choose its own fate is going to “fix” that unless it’s turned into a version of Belarus.