The fact that the west was and is using Ukraine as a means to destroy and occupy Russia is undisputable.

I, who never lived in Russia, saw what was going on since before 2014. The west was progressively amplifying its anti Russian propaganda, using every time another story to present Russians as cheaters, poisoners, and what not.

The fact that to most westerners this was invisible ("this is how they are"), means little.

It came to a point that some people in Kiev thought it was their right to break long term agreements and "convert" people who considered themselves Russians living in Ukraine, to "ukranians", in effect banning the Russian culture and language (claiming always that there was nothing like that). And then openly inviting NATO to Ukraine as "advisors" (which is a very well understood euphemism).

So no, this is after all a replica of Napoleon and Hitler, just with infinitely more sophistication and resources (western drones, AI, and satellites), and letting the ukranians die on the battlefield instead of them.