ELI5. What I currently understand is this: We're ok with Putin doing this 'operation' in Ukraine because he is tearing down several DS operations (Biolabs, for one). We are 'okay?" with Putin putting in a puppet govt partial to Russia. (Why?). How does this preserve any info/proof we need to snag all of our bad guys, e.g. Pelosi son, The Smartest Guy I know, JB, and the other list of usual suspects. Are we going to regret that Putin would have control of Ukraine? Is Putin going to use this as a stepping stone to envelop Ukraine into a defacto USSR reprise? I can understand that Putin wants a buffer zone (Ukraine) between NATO weapons and Russia current border (much like China never wants NKo to go away) but are we going to just watch this become another land grab like Crimea (and the place alongside Crimea) by Putin as happened under BHO? And, I thought Zelensky was WH? (is he compromised with 'kompromat' somehow?) Why is he locking in all 18 -55 yo men from leaving the country in order to have them defend country? Isn't that suicide to have a civilian with a longgun against an advanced military?) I thought so when he met with Trump, and again when he spouted off to Biden early on. I just can't keep up with all of the theories on here. Thanks for a simple explanation (and please give hints when some of the parts are 'assumptions' versus 'most likely to happen' vs 'wishes'. )

ELI5. What I currently understand is this: We're ok with Putin doing this 'operation' in Ukraine because he is tearing down several DS operations (Biolabs, for one). We are 'okay?" with Putin putting in a puppet govt partial to Russia. (Why?). How does this preserve any info/proof we need to snag all of our bad guys, e.g. Pelosi son, The Smartest Guy I know, JB, and the other list of usual suspects. Are we going to regret that Putin would have control of Ukraine? Is Putin going to use this as a stepping stone to envelop Ukraine into a defacto USSR reprise? I can understand that Putin wants a buffer zone (Ukraine) between NATO weapons and Russia current border (much like China never wants NKo to go away) but are we going to just watch this become another land grab like Crimea and the place alongside Crimea by Putin as happened under BHO? And, I thought Zelensky was WH? (is he compromised with 'kompromat' somehow?) Why is he locking in all 18 -55 yo men from leaving the country in order to have them defend country? Isn't that suicide to have a civilian with a longgun against an advanced military?) I thought so when he met with Trump, and again when he spouted off to Biden early on. I just can't keep up with all of the theories on here. Thanks for a simple explanation (and please give hints when some of the parts are 'assumptions' versus 'most likely to happen' vs 'wishes'. )