I'm not changing anything you disingenuous cretin. Little Green Men. Paramilitaries such as The 100 Cossacks. Military advisors and "volunteers." Sophisticated weaponry that had resulted in a huge scandal when the rebels downed a commercial civilian aircraft. These were all acts of aggression one hair short of declaring war.
We have primary evidence of Vladimir Putin openly declaring (orally and in his manifesto) that Ukraine is not a country right, before the invasion took place, while you are entertaining conspiracy theories.
Considering that they have managed to save Kyev,I think that they have gotten much out of these traits.