1ºRyan Owens They could have easily taken Kiev, but pulled back to negotiate a peaceful solution. You can blame the UK (specifically Boris Johnson) for ruining that. Russia hasn't failed at denazifying Ukraine....heck, Azof and Right Sektor are a thing of the past now. What's left of them is a few pathetic tattood idiots. Those regions were Ukrainian citizens that are historically Russian (and ethnically 50% Russian). What does Russia control...almost 1/3rd of Ukraine. You can watch the Ukrainian UAV factories, tank repair facilities, and "future F16" bases get blown up on a regular basis. What does Ukraine have left....honestly, nothing. They're broke, bankrupt, and begging for "wunderwaffen" that all seem to fail.