Alas, it seems exactly so. Geopolitics is a harsh mistress, and Ukraine had a great chance to become a bridge between two civilizational clusters (cf. Finland before 2022, Turkey, Kazakhstan, or Uzbekistan). They've chosen the road of post-colonial victim syndrome and entered the besieged fortress mode. Well, at least, their dismal example is already cooling a lot of hot heads in the grey peripheral area betwixt the EU and Russia.