To my knowledge most of the ones that happened during Euromaidan either had people paid to "protest" or they could barely get people together to protest.

Sorry, that just reeks of propaganda to me. Donezk has a distinct national identity from before it was declared to be a part of Ukraine. Additionally, the region came under economic pressure through the talks between Kiew and Europe, which would explain why there would be protests erupting in 2014. Stating that these protestors were paid is a highly spuriops claim without sources.

The ultranationalists actually started losing popularity the moment Euromaidan ended and over the years they've been slowly been rooted out from where-ever they dug into.

When was that supposed to happen? Back in 2022, Selensky spoke at the Greek parliament, accompanied by the Azov battalion. Since you accuse me of spouting propaganda: this claim seems like propaganda to me, as well.

I personally don't see how the war is in the interest of Russia (the nation).

Russia wants to assert its status as a super power in a world where the US don't allow for other super powers beside them. I thought it was well established that Russia has imperialistic interests, wasn't it?

(Ukranians on the front will tell you that Russia just keeps sending troops wave after wave straight into machinegun fire).

Ignoring the fact that what you're going to hear from Ukrainian soldiers will be heavily filtered by Ukraine's department of defense: AFAIK, That's not (or no longer) Russia's strategy. They're currently very slow and methodical in kettling in their military targets. Ukraine is currently the one who puts their soldiers in the meat grinder by not evacuating Russia's targets after they are considered to be lost.

Not retrieving your wounded is not in the interest of the nation. People struggling to put food on the table is not in the interest of the nation.

Yeah, that's a good deterrent for war. So why do you think the war is still going? Because Putin is evil? I just don't buy that childish logic which goes against any serious political analysis of anything.

BTW: Every state considers it justified to send outsits population into a war to secure its status as a sovereign. To a state that's currently at war, human lives are nothing but a kind of resource to be used to reduce the enemy's (human) resource. That's what a war is. No matter if you're Putin, Selensky or Wilhelm II.

A completely irrelevant point considering this discussion started with the statement that this war wouldn't even happen if not for Russia.

Maybe, if you consider my point on the Ukrainian people (that should only give you context why I'm skeptical of Selensky). But the fact that the "good guys" are no angels definetly has something to do why "Putin just won't stop".

I've been giving you the benefit of the doubt up to this point, but this is where I'm just going to call you a Russian propagandist because you're either deliberately or ignorantly presenting Russian talking points.

Ukraine has beefed up their military substantially between 2014 and 2020. That didn't happen without the west's help. And NATO is no stranger in involving itself outside its stated goals as a "defense treaty" (See: Kosovo war). I also don't get how Sweden's and Finland's joining of NATO has anything to to with whether or not NATO provoked Russia. It is however a great example how NATO is used as an imperialist tool by its members, when you look at what Erdogan got out of Sweden joining NATO.

You're accusing me of repeating Russia's propaganda, I'm accusing you of repeating NATO's propaganda. But at least I know that you shouldn't trust either imperialist.