> Why would anybody want to be the enemy of the global superpower?
For the same reason that despots around the world "hate the west." [0] Because it takes the domestic population's eyes off of all the domestic issues such as rampant corruption and curtailment of basic freedoms.
[0] See: Iran & North Korea who non-coincidentally are both supplying Russia with arms which are used to kill Ukrainian grandparents and children living peacefully in their villages and cities.
They don't just "hate the west" because it distracts their citizens from domestic issues. That's ridiculous. They are resisting the global hegemony in defense of their autonomy. Just like we don't sign up to be slaves, as individuals.
What does "resisting the global hegemony" have to do with annexing neighboring countries, slaughtering civilians in their homes, and then kidnapping their children?
I'm not in support of war. Don't try to straw man me as a Putin supporter. This is just baiting me into an argument about "who is worse" when that's irrelevant to what I said.
To be clear, I'd much rather live here than in Russia, and I also would prefer that Russia wasn't slaughtering people in Ukraine, including their own.
For the same reason that despots around the world "hate the west." [0] Because it takes the domestic population's eyes off of all the domestic issues such as rampant corruption and curtailment of basic freedoms.
[0] See: Iran & North Korea who non-coincidentally are both supplying Russia with arms which are used to kill Ukrainian grandparents and children living peacefully in their villages and cities.