You do realize that Ukraine was shelling their Russian-speaking citizens in the east for several years for before Russia invaded, killing over 10,000 civilians?
As much as I disgusted by Western propaganda and hypocrisy, I must say that most of them died in 2014 and 2015. Following Zelensky's election about a dozen or two civilians died on both sides per year in the Eastern Ukraine and mostly because of old mines. Killing thousand times more people is hardly a solution.
It was the Ukraine who was trying to regain control of DNR and LNR.
14000 is the total number of Ukrainian citizens, both civilians and fighters, who died on both sides, not counting Russians who overtly or covertly helped rebels.
In 90s and yearly 2000s Russia was invading Russia and tens of thousands of military and civilians died.
> 14000 is the total number of Ukrainian citizens, both civilians and fighter, who died on both sides, not counting Russians who overtly or covertly helped rebels.
The local population was more than happy to set up their own autonomous zone after the central government began discriminating against Russian-speaking citizens, even passing laws against the use of the Russian language. Putin actually asked them not to hold referendums on multiple occasions— it was only until he realized late last year that Zelensky is totally controlled by the right sector and would happily sacrifice his people for US geopolitical goals that Putin acknowledged that area could never be safe for Russian-speaking people with Kiev in charge.
