I am specifically referring to imperialist countries encircling Russia, propagandizing against it, provoking it, and portraying it as a country of mindless barbarians (as you are doing here). The Russian empire ended when the Soviets freed the Tsar’s colonies, at which point Ukraine was and has been free. The modern conflict between Ukraine and Russia is not because Russians are just a warmongering people like you claim, but instead a result of continued encirclement and hostile forces encroaching closer and closer to Moscow over the last few decades.