Putin telling the truth is as unlikely as the US being seriously interested in „defending the democracy and sovereignty in ukraine“. There seems to be some personal connection to this close-to-failed-state country. On the one side, it is some perverted fantom pains after the breakdown of the soviet union, for which there’s no justification and which could have been avoided if only the soviet heritage had been properly destroyed. On the other side, it is some weird corruption involved, which might explain why it is so important to prolong the existing puppet regime.