Sounds more like you're (uncritically) accepting the narratives put out by various sources in regard to events of the time.
I think better choices could have been made
That's very different from what you said initially.
You didn't say that the Ukrainians "decided" not to negotiate for a cease fire (meaning, to accept Putin's demands for recognized sovereignty over the occupied regions).
What you said (twice, for emphasis) was that they "were told not to".
As if they are simply incapable of making such decisions for themselves, and just do what their Western handlers tell them to do.
