See this massively undermine your own argument. I.e. that Ukrainians are eager to align with the west to protect their supposed distinct nationality vs. they are greedy to get a piece of Western economic prosperity (the true reason).
However there are some problems with this cargo cult mentality.
1. Ukrainians can just move to the west, it has never been easier,and leave their steppes to Russians. In fact this is what's happening.
2. The most industrialized and resource rich portion of Ukraine is so called Novo Russia (New Russia) and it is in the east. Meanwhile the most nationalistic region of Ukraine, in the West in Galicia, was formerly the poorest part of the Austro-Hungarian empire so comparisons to Czech republic for example are unfounded.
3. There is no evidence that Russia wants to reassert itself over eastern Europe vs prevent expansion of Galician zealots east (you may call them Banderites or neofascists because that is what they are). These people have made up a national myth where somehow they are the true Russians.
Most of the black sea coast including crimea were under turkish dominion until the formation of cossacks and the incorporation of the territory into Russia. That was something like 200 years ago. Until 1990 the territory was filled with people who considered themselves the same as Russians including young Zelensky, whose first language is Russian.
The city of Donetsk, for example, was founded as a steel town in the Russian Empire, by an Englishman, Hughes, and populated by Russians.