^^^
Why does Russia need buffer states everywhere around it, and why does Russia call every state who is not their puppet - an "anti-Russian" state?
There is no other country in existence which demands to be surrounded by "neutral buffer states" from all sides. Why special privileges to Russia?
PS:
You keep forgetting about Transnistria which is like Crimea to Putin - he also wants to "have it back". And to get there, he needs all of South Ukraine.
He just needs one neutral or accepting state, either Moldova or Ukraine. What he doesn't need indeed is two hostile states blocking him. From my point of view, Russia has more rights to control Ukraines East and Crimea than Moldova, because of the ethnic-historical background of these conflicts.
If you are seriously asking who else? The USA are the worst, ever heard about the Monroe doctrine? Or them invading countries all over the world? Even trampling on people and countries for which they have much less of a right than Russia on Ukraine?
Or Chinas demands? All large powers, especially in times of conflict, demand that. Russia was quite open and helpful, it was the USA which blocked them and humiliated the Russians time and time again. Actually, in a lot of these instances, it was Biden personally. Many years ago, when Putin asked whether he can get closer to NATO with Russia, Biden is told to have just laughed and said "try your luck with Iran and China..."
They always offered the treaties only to the "buffer states" around Russia, tried to take one after another away from the Russian sphere of influence, but offered nothing, absolutely nothing for the Russians in return. Quid pro quo? Ever heard that phrase? People like Biden, and Biden even personally, did, deliberately and arrogantly, alienate Russia from the West in the last years, even before 2014, when Russia had still good will and tried to negotiate. They learned their lesson and now they are closer to China than ever and try to fend any additional robbery in their sphere of influence off.
You might say that's not nice, you may say its against the American made international law at times, which being always made and controlled by the USA anyway, but that's just how it is and everybody which tries to understand the Russian position and experience with the USA just for one minute, just one minute, has to agree it has a rationale. If you don't like it, ok, but try to think about other ways to change it than risking a nuclear war. And also think about it, whether its really that desirable that the American oligarchs control the world. I don't want Russian oligarchs to have a say in Europe, but I don't want the Americans either. If the Americans get cocky, if they think they can monopolise power and law as they wish, which they do anyway, especially the current Biden administration, it gets ugly for any European caring for its people, social justice and peace.
Think twice what you wish. The Ukrainians could have done just fine on their own, without the confrontation with Russia. They tried to go the hard way, it was the decision of the Selenski regime. It was a deliberately made decision of the Selenski regime, not some sort of "attack out of the blue" and all that propaganda nonsense. Even if they succeed, militarily, just like I say the same for the Russian side: Is it really worth it? Do regimes sort their differences, especially the ones in questions, out like that? By destroying so much human life? I don't think so. But you have to look at both sides. Iraq was surely more of an innocent victim of the US aggression than Ukraine is now. That's for sure.
The Ukrainians made no acceptable offer to the Russians. Nada. Nothing. Do they think if they state the obvious, that they can't become a NATO member this would be enough at this point? Obviously it can't. That's still no serious negotiation.
