They are annoyed that past might and historic conquering somehow legitimizes Russian sphere of influence, when in reality they are using a hundred year old+ outdated geopolitical philosophy to feel entitled to half of central Europe and the Baltics in the 21st century. And if we are to be truly honest anyone who obsessively need to intellectually mastrubate and geopolitically over-analyze this topic need to take a serious step back.

Ukraine as much as Belarus have and had no future of self determination under Russia's boot heel, their citizens lives will not prosper, their culture will be suppressed and stopped from evolving, their children and people will and would be indoctrinated, they probably would be pitted against Moldova, Slovakia and Poland. Possibly used to fight future wars against several of them.

All this on a premise that Russian leadership will somehow not negotiate in bad faith, which we have been very much assured they will. If you think a singular war is bad, imagine the cost of several generations under a suppressive, murderous, thieving and tyrannical state. That is the cost we are measuring, because Russian leadership has been straightforward about a lot of things that can't be broken down to security concerns or sphere of influence.

And the premise that an autocrat and his inner circle are to be offered some divine right to insure their own survival or rule, not based on improving the material conditions of their state. But by suppressing another, makes me worried that these intellectuals have become outdated and toothless. At least on this matter.