On the eve of the Russian attack, Ukraine was no closer to joining NATO than it had been in decades.
Ukraine and Israel were the only countries with a Jewish President and Prime Minister at the same time, and Ukraine doesn’t have far right party members in their legislature (unlike Western European countries!).
Russians from Moscow are much less likely to die in Russia’s invasion than Russians from the periphery. Russia is still like an imperial power throwing away the lives of its colonies while preserving their imperial core.