Liberals have got used to depicting Russia as the country of one man: Putin.
Get rid of Putin and things are solved.
Limited point of view.
One cause behind the war in Ukraine is a disagreement between Russian traders and what could be called white people traders.
This dispute ended with Russian traders cutting their supply and redirecting it to other countries that appear as competition to white people.
Whoever means trade means trade routes. Whoever means control over trade means control over trade routes. No human group has managed so far to escape the requirement.
As Russian traders cut down the supply, Europe in particular had to look for alternate supply sources.
Africa while often depicted as dysfunctional by liberals is in fact very functional to liberals as African are reliable supply sources that do not cut supply.
Hence the presence of Russia in West Africa.
Europeans look for reliable supplies that would make them less dependent on Russia and less afflicted in case Russia turn down the pipe.
While it is unlikely Russia manages to get theirs hands on African potentiail suppliers (and yet) they can ensure the control over countries that would host pipelines runnng from fields to Europe.
Meaning Russia will be involved in the security of the trade route.
Eventually, white traders and russia traders will reach an agreement that pipe lines will be developed a a joint operation.
This will mean that Europe will remain dependent on Russia.
It may be noticed that local populations are out of the equation. Whatever happens, it wont be done to their best interest.
Russia: extended control over their own supply to Europe and a control over African supply through proxies.
Meaning a very strong position for trade negotiation.
And Putin in this. Nowhere. The situation does not depend on him or the mercenary group. Both act in order to satisfy russian traders to further russian traders' interests.
Kicking Putin out does not change the picture.