They didn't need the land of Ukraine, but they invaded.
Watch taker Tucker Carlson's Interview for explanation, spoiler alert it is not to acquire more land mass.
I tried, but I couldn't get through the bull. It was way too painful to watch all the way through. Maybe you could enlighten us?
Putin and the Russian political elite have declared several times, in speeches and articles, they want the Russian Tsar Empire back. As early as 1994 it was clear that Putin wants the Baltics back (see Hamburg incident).