I agree with you. But we're not Putin or other Russian leaders. Ukraine had nukes on their land but they never controlled them. They were controlled by Russia/Moscow.

Anyway, a lot of what's going on is about how Russia feels about the attitude of the West. Right or wrong, they are entitled to their opinions. We know this is a sensitive subject for Putin. No one denies that. Even if Zelensky says it once and the U.S. pretends he didn't say it is a direct slap in the face to Putin, from his point of view. Again, agree, disagree with whether Ukraine will get nukes isn't releavant in that.

Because the general public doens't follow Putin it's easy for the media to paint him as some evil guy. Maybe he is. But I believe if you read the stuff he writes (which is more than Biden or Trump could do--both near illiterates) you'd find him not as crazy as you might think.

In one of my recent stories I put in Putin's speech before the invasion and removed all the trigger words. https://maxrottersman.medium.com/war-violence-and-the-language-of-humiliation-5938fdb4107d