How are the Russians responsible for their government? Assuming you are American: how have you stopped the offensive in Iraq or Afghanistan?
This is exactly what the Russian government needs, hating Russians will only validate the propaganda. They tell their citizens, how much the west hates them and how they are protecting themselves from NATO. By fulfilling this illusion, you only motivate Russians to actually support their government.
I’m not. However I do believe that the wars in Iraq and especially Afghanistan were morally ambiguous (one of them quite a but less than the other) and certainly not imperialist wars of aggression in the classical sense (like the war in Ukraine).
> How are the Russians responsible for their government
Directly and/or indirectly? Anyway I wouldn’t really see this as fundamentally different in anyway compared to all the other sanctions targeting Russia/Russians these days.
> hating Russians will only validate the propaganda
Who said I hate them? I certainly have strong opinions about their society and dominant values. I don’t hate Russians would, however it would be nice if they had more time/motivation to focus on thins that actually matter.
> how much the west hates them and how they are protecting themselves from NATO.
Society wide paranoia and delusion is indeed a huge. How would you suggest could the “West” fix that?