You already know the answer. They will say that Ukraine has the right to be independent. Well, they may have the right on paper, but the reality is different. You can also go insult a short-tempered bodybuilder, but he will f**k you up. And that's why you don't mess with him.
After all, with or without Russia, being neutral is much, much better than being a NATO member. At least you won't be forced to finance the US military-industrial complex by being obliged to buy their equipment.
Because it's not all about
GDP. It's about so much more. For instance, salary means s**t when you can't go to work unless you take an experimental vaccine.