>>Considering the fact that America’s involvement in Ukraine is the reason Ukraine is in the war to start with?
The only side to blame for invading Ukraine is Russia. Literally no one else. That's not to say US hasn't had involvement in Ukrainian politics - I'm sure they did. The responsibility for the invasion still lies 100% with Russia.
Your view of history is far from accurate. The "vote" by crimea to leave ukraine was after Russia took over Ukraine in a military action. Voting to secede after someone takes you over and that Russian someone doesn't do democratic voting.
"The Crimean status referendum of 2014 was a disputed referendum[1][2] on March 16, 2014, concerning the status of Crimea that was conducted in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (both subdivisions of Ukraine) after Russian forces seized control of Crimea.[3]"
This is the old maxima "Divide and conquer" - make two sister nations fight with each other for your own benefits. Then you can always look innocent and blame one or the two fighting parties for their own fight.
And it's also a very convenient propaganda technique used by Russia all the time - "look we didn't really want to do this, it's the foreign interference in Ukrainian politics that made us attack them!". Like, ok, sure - but you are still the ones pulling the trigger.
Ukraine is not sister nation to Russia. This is old Russian propaganda, in reality, Ukraine is old European nation and Russia is Asian (just remember about mummy at center of Russian capital, and think, where at Western country exists something comparable).
Claiming Ukraine sister nation for Russia is not exact same, but similar to claim Israel sister nation to Iran, or Japan sister nation to China.
Russia and the U.S. are both thinking that they are acting in their interests. Russia wants to keep away NATO because they fear NATO will randomly destroy their kleptocracy, and the U.S. wants to weaken nations regularly trying to assassinate citizens in western countries.
The U.S. is 10x more powerful than Russia who is 10x more powerful than Ukraine. Russia falling for the trap of a quagmire on their border is not the fault of the U.S.
U.S. behavior is mostly legacy of British, and partially from continental Europe.
And adequate person might notice, U.S. is practically on the border, between European and Latin American parts of world.
Practically, the same as Ukraine on the border, between Europe and Central Asia.
And this geographic situation is very important, on border you could not be really neutral and weak, you must choose one side and be strong enough to be on this side or you will be divided to sides by some external force.
Russia is very typical Asian country, or to be more strict, typical country of Central Asia, not European, for example, South-Eastern Asia is very different.
And Russian behavior is very typical for Central Asia. Absolutely nothing extraordinary.
> According to one study, the U.S. performed at least 81 overt and covert known interventions in foreign elections during the period 1946–2000.
Read and count, in how many coups involved Russia (unfortunately you may need to use google translate from country of Democracy and free market):
ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Советская_республика
And yes, I don't think "Soviet republic" as Democracy, because I've seen USSR and it's pseudo-elections without choice.
What they are, you could see in good film Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks - literally, gangs occupy country and supported by some Communists country - caught on such things Russia, Iran, Venezuela, China.
Ukrainian elections after 2004, ALL considered democratic, if you don't hear from your sources.
