Why do you see all those countries wedged between western powers and Russia as helpless pawns? Maybe the people of those countries have their own will. And a memory of those 40 years. Wanting "buffer countries" is 19th century thinking and it expectedly worked against them - do you think anyone forced Sweden or Finland to join just now?
I can't shake off the fact that Western powers won the cold war but imposed a victor's peace on Russia. Integrating Eastern European countries economically with the West (by their free will or not) is one thing but expanding NATO throughout the 90's and early 2000's was NOT a defensive move.
Regarding Finland I am not discussing the security dynamics post invasion. The scenario has now changed from what could have been...
I can't shake off the fact that Western powers won the cold war but imposed a victor's peace on Russia.
It's more of an assessment than "fact". But still, you don't need to shake if off. You can obsess about it all you want, in fact.
What matters here is that the current conflict not just entirely one-sided -- but utterly, completely insane. And that that there are absolutely no historical circumstances which explain, contextualize or otherwise minimize the aggressor's actions.
I think it’s pretty clear now why they wanted to join NATO, the same reason Finland, Estonia, Lithuania etc wanted to join, Russia hasn’t given up on restoring the Russian Empire.
Ah yes, why would a victim look to find protection from centuries of bullying? You may not like the US, but the US has not bullied the baltics, and Russia has. Very simple to see why they do what they do.
