Re US dropping the shield - AFAIK that was because of local population opposing it (here in Czechia the argument was that we'd become prime nuclear strike targe

Re US dropping the shield - AFAIK that was because of local population opposing it (here in Czechia the argument was that we'd become prime nuclear strike target), not because of anything with Russia or the US itself. The other stuff - seems just like Putin thought "well let them think Russia has changed".