Russia’s Failed Blitzkrieg

What's the dispute about? The crux of the Ukrainian issue is

contesting the post-Cold War territoriality of central Europe and
reviving Russian history. They allot a century of linguistic,
cultural, and familial ties. The demonstrations in Ukraine,
together with Russia's interests in the Black Sea and Ukraine's
quest for NATO membership, are the main drivers of the
ongoing war.

Before the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin had

already made arrangements to surround himself and his country
with a powerful aura. Putin twisted Georgia's desire to become a
member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO,
and angrily seized Crimea.

The situation in Ukraine teaches us about the limits of major

nations' ability to influence the outcome of conflicts with
smaller ones.
Perhaps of the finest instances of large powers becoming caught
in lesser theaters include the U.S. participation in Vietnam, its
invasion of Afghanistan, and the Soviet intervention in
Afghanistan.
Moscow miscalculated the strength of Ukrainian nationalism
and the will of the West, which it believed had been weakened
by domestic strife and defeats from the outside world.