Putin and Russia people perceive this. They perceive it as a Western attack via the proxy Zelensky.
You keep asking me to care about Ukranians. I care about my children more. I don't want them to die over a piece of land that was Russia's for 7 years and culturally Russian for a long time. Sorry.
Even Solzhenitsyn said Crimea and Donbas were culturally Russian and it was highly improper for Ukranian leaders to spread hate these Russians' way.