Side topic but aren't Ukrainians just the whiter more racist version of Russians?
Kinda like how if the USA broke up like the Soviet Union did, the original 13 colonies of America with mostly white Anglo Americans would break away from the other parts of America, and the rest of America would have whites still but be more mixed overall. Their would still be white Anglos in the midwest, the south, and the west but those regions would be more diverse with lots of mexicans, blacks, and asians while the east coast would be mostly white Anglo.
So Ukraine would be comparable to the hypothetical break-away eastern portion of the USA that would mostly white Anglo.
Either way, I think Putin is based. Ukraine is a natural buffer between the west and Russia proper. If Russia loses Ukraine, that is like a SWAT officer that goes into a building full of armed drug dealers without a bullet proof vest. His center would be wide open and vulnerable. Same with Russia if it were to lose Ukraine.