Most people in this forum are siding with Ukraine now because of what is happening today and the fact that they are not Russian.
A far as the Donbass region goes, it depends what you read. It seems that some wrong-doing may have come from both sides. But as there has been fighting there, it is obvious that there is no majority desire for independence.
Any "Russian-majority" in these provinces is only marginal and not total because it seems there are large groups of Ukrainians and Slavs who do not want Russian control and together they are the majority. Thousands have died since 2014 but that is a result of some Ukrainian action but also direct Russian interference and assistance, which is also anti-democratic and also illegal - there has been little reference to it in this thread, either.
Information about the Donbass conflict is not really suppressed in the west but it is certainly different to that available from pro Russian sources. However, at the moment, Russia has lost any moral high ground it may have had as far as the west is concerned, due to the scale and violence of this invasion.
I agree that NATO and the EU should have played the Ukrainian membership possibilities down (at lest delayed them) but to say that Russia has been terrorized seems so ironic and ridiculous after these last two weeks.
Who has vilified and threatened Russia before this brutal invasion?? Your appeal is not appealing.