The NATO narrative has always been nonsense. Former Soviet bloc countries have joined NATO solely because they cannot trust Russia to respect their sovereignty.
What better way to convince them that they were right than violating the sovereignty of a neighbor and invading them?
Fwiw - Russia has engaged in violent expansion during Putin's regime, and most analysts agree that reclaiming the glory of the Soviet Union/Russian Empire is a part of his agenda. Of course you can't divorce that from maintaining control, but war is also a terrible way to do that.
VirginiaMcCaskey t1_jacjc7o wrote
Reply to comment by Couple_Overall in Ukraine war: Zelensky says situation in Bakhmut worsening by jacobhong
The NATO narrative has always been nonsense. Former Soviet bloc countries have joined NATO solely because they cannot trust Russia to respect their sovereignty.
What better way to convince them that they were right than violating the sovereignty of a neighbor and invading them?
Fwiw - Russia has engaged in violent expansion during Putin's regime, and most analysts agree that reclaiming the glory of the Soviet Union/Russian Empire is a part of his agenda. Of course you can't divorce that from maintaining control, but war is also a terrible way to do that.