It’s absolutely hasn’t avoided that though. There are stories about culture war topics almost daily and multiple on the weekends.
If it wasn’t pushed back against it would take over the entire site and every thread would devolve into a rehashed flame war about Trump or gender issues or something. Then everyone else would leave.
Even though these events were provoked by the war, they are important even without that connection. Possibility of civil war / regime change in Russa will inevitably hit everyone in the world. Some will get hit more, some less. Some only economically.
Nothing to do with a culture war vortex. Burying your head in sand is not necessarily the smartest option although I understand that it is the easiest one.