Why is it so hard to believe that the Russians don't want what they consider hostile parties on their borders? "Russians" who have an awareness of history (who

Why is it so hard to believe that the Russians don't want what they consider hostile parties on their borders? "Russians" who have an awareness of history (who are all the Russians I know personally) understand, implicitly, that these countries did not join NATO out of hostile intent - but from the need for some level of security to protect against a neighboring country which has done, as I'm sure you must know, some pretty awful things to them in the not so distant past. They don't love NATO by any means. But they fully get why these countries sought membership. And don't for a minute believe the hogwash put out by the current Tsar, that it was somehow "necessary" to start bombing an shooting everywhere with oblivion, and letting the bodies pile up with such an awful stink -- just to make a "point". (I put "Russians" in quotes because only about 70 percent of the country is what one would call ethnically Russian). We would do the exact same thing. You're right - "we" (by which you mean the US) did in fact do a basically very similar thing, in regard to numerous countries in Latin America from about 1961-1985. To the point of establishing or supporting dictatorships that killed and tortured probably upwards of 200,000 people, on top of putting multiple generations of social development in these countries effectively on hold. And for which we have been rightly and thoroughly condemned, by folks with a good conscience, and an awareness of basic history everywhere.