Also that Ukraine started shelling Donbass at about that time

And at the time they moved fast enough and the Ukrainian government was inept and the military untrained and underequipped to do anything about it. That's why the status quo was accepted like that.

In the first days of the Ukraine war a lot of western leaders were rather sceptical of Ukraines chance to defend itself and more than happy to write them off and accept a new order, if it doesn't interfere with the Russia business.

Something similiar can also be seen from the US in WW2, were before Pearl Harbor it seemed the US was mostly accepting and seeing how to deal with a new world order, with Europe under Nazi control.

To them the danger never arises from any status quo or a quick change of status. Only a continued long lasting changing process is what they fear and get troubled by.