This is not some kind of pop psychology problem for people to prove their good person credentials.
It's global politics, and we damn well better understand what Putin wants and why he makes the choices he does, because it's the only way to make decisions that will be effective.
When the rubber meets the road it's realpolitik that matters, not ideological guff.
There are reasons for Putin's actions, and concrete goals. Some are rooted in what he thinks Russia is, as a kind of visionary perspective, but it's also about strategy and political alliances.
Ukraine becoming more influenced by the west, and especially the government being politically controlled by the west, or even worse, the country joining NATO, is a huge issue for Russia.
And frankly that is no surprise, it's not different than what you would see if the situation was reversed. And say, Scotland became independent and entered a military alliance with Russia and China.
This doesn't mean anyone loves Putin or thinks war is great. But you have to understand and deal with the political and geographic realities.