I think we need to remember that Ukraine was a significant Nuclear power and was persuaded to completely disarm billions of dollars worth of Nuclear weapons, based on protection to be provided primarily by the US, and the UK and France at the time. This happened when the USSR collapsed and only removed some of its weapons.
Putin is trying to reassemble it, and doesn't care how he achieves his desires.
Whilst we would all like to see an end to the war, cuddling up to Putin is not the way to do it, he has zero regard for anyone else or a majority of his own people.
He has consistently reneged on various treaties he signed to prevent Russia expanding it's borders, and being the aggressor.
Putin is pulling all the strings at the moment, and Trump has removed any element of a vaguely satisfactory solution (from a Ukraine perspective, remember they were ones invaded) by openly telling everyone he won't help without signing up an asset stripping agreement with a war-torn country.
In other news...
I have no problem making other NATO countries pay their way, UK included.
Unfortunately, like all things in life, if someone isn't making you pay, you aren't going to volunteer the money unless you are "reminded".
It's been left to drift too long, and needs rectifying.
The UN needs to remove the Veto from the major players, nothing ever gets passed, as half the time the Veto gets used politically by the very nations that requires action against them. No teeth.