The Western elites won't tell us (the masses) about why they were trying to squeeze the Russians. The root cause of this conflict between the West and Russia is about the preservation of the fiat money. The West wants to make sure that the Petro-Dollar remains the fiat money of the world. And that can only be done when Russia, which is major energy producer, and China, which is a major economic power, are contained. If you really look at the wars against Libya and Iraq and the sanctions against Iran are all based on preserving this Petro-Dollar financial system.
Sadly, the Ukrainians have a leadership that couldn't foresee how they've been setup as a canon fodder for a conflict that shouldn't have them engaged at all. And I would add Sweden should also remain neutral and stay clear from a conflict that doesn't concern them.