One thing that has to be said to everyone who grew up in the US: Fear of Russia, communism and socialicm has been deeply embedded in your culture over the last 50 years or so.
If you do not overcome this indoctrination, discussion of the events in UA will always be too biased.
Communism, as well as socialism is just like democracy: Great ideas that usually get corrupted. For all three there have been times when they worked ok, and more times when they were not working at all.
Same goes for Russia being the evil nation. The biggest provocatuer over the last decades has been the US... it also did the most damage, globally. Russia has been behaving quite cooperative, and non-agressiv (or can you tell me about one thing Russia did that wouldn't pale compared to the agression of the US?).
There are no doubt forces in Russia that radicalised and have imperialistic ideas. If e.g. Putin would be overthrown, there is a high chance those forces would come to power.
So everybody should try to look at the bigger picture, or their personal REAL LIVE EXPERIENCE. How do you know Russia? How do you know Ukraine? Have you studied the history of Russian warfare? Have you ever been there? Do you know anybody who has been there?
If all those questions are answered 'no', what are you talking about? What media tells you?
Personally, I know Ukraine quite well, I've been in a war run by Russia, I know slawic culture intimately. That is my picture.
Scott Ritter has seen much more, and if anyone wants to trust a source one can see on some internet channel, I would point his direction.
Compared to my limited personal experience, his views are realistic.
Get out of your fears!
I get no where talking about socialism to my peers in Canada but I do try.
I guess it is like they were allergic to it... deeply embedded rejection.
It's some kind of cognitive dissonance, they are very into socialist policy when debating new government funding for various things, but when you say "I would like to achieve the same goals, but in a non-socialist way", they start to get insecure and create excuses as to why your outside of their box thinking has no plausible way to become reality.