From Russia's perspective, almost everything is a provocation and a threat. Not rationally, but because Russia's official viewpoint is about as irrational as it

From Russia's perspective, almost everything is a provocation and a threat. Not rationally, but because Russia's official viewpoint is about as irrational as it gets. There isn't anything to appease them with, because they've chosen to ignore the facts. And from an outside perspective it's not hard to see why two states, one with a border to Russia, would join a military alliance after Russia invaded a sovereign neighbor.