Defending Russian speakers from being humiliated, killed and their culture totally eradicated will be supported by most Russians.
Putin waited 8 years before going into Ukraine for some effort at reconciliation but none was coming.
Having a adversary created with intent to destroy russia ( NATO) at your door step is a existential security threat that cannot be allowed to happen..
By now 8 million Ukrainian population has left the country as refugees or men trying to escape being drafted. It was never reported as such.
Reason why NATO expanded so far east, despite no military threat from russia is due to germany being too friendly with with russia and becoming economically very dominsnt in europe.
When russia withdrew from eastern europe, UK was weary of a reinvigorated united germany.. A dominant EU power. A EU working closely with russia is a threat to Anglo Saxon hegemony. France now have second thoughts. Plus the German population are now asking if enmity with russia is worth it as it was russian energy that provided and help german industries to prosper the last 20 years and a EU russia alliance is bigger militarily and economically than the US. That alliance, as remarked in a leaked CIA report, must be destroyed.