Putin did it because he's an abusive dickwad who thinks it's his god-given right to control Ukraine. That's it. That's the entire explanation.

People keep trying to rationalize his actions, come up with some more respectable reason, becuase there's no way this much death and suffering could be happening because one guy is an entitled, controlling piece of shit, right?

But in reality, that's how fascism always works. It's always been how it works. Why'd the Nazis invade Europe? Because they were entitled, controlling pieces of shit.