I sort of do admire Putin.
It is hard not to be sympathetic for his generation, that had to deal with such hardship and starvation after and during WWII.
Unlike the US that invades or subverts governments all over the world, in order to take from them, Russia has never done that. The countries they get involved with cost them more than they get out of it. Like Cuba, China, Korea, Vietnam, etc.
Look at the Ukraine.
Russia was being nice and let East Germany, and all the Warsaw Pact countries make their own choices.
The only condition was to "not join any alliance hostile to Russia".
So then all these countries either have or like the Ukraine, are trying to join NATO.
Those treaty violations are an act of war.
And Putin is being incredibly patient.
I would have nuked Kyiv the very first day they shot down a single Russian plane with an illegal US Javelin missile.