I don't think Putin wanted to crush EU. He is desperate to start the oil.

This whole warfare is for resources (oil and gas). Both the US and Russia have investments in the black sea but Burisma and co (With US investments) are strangling the Russian energy companies slowly.

NATO/NAZis/Democracy/Freedom/Freeing DPR etc are all excuses by Russia and West while the primary reason is gas and oil

US has been rabidly pushing EU to cut off all Russian energy for years and years.