Putin’s actions are those of any Russian leader since the 9th century

From Flopping Aces

“The Russian military has pushed further into Ukraine and now meets stiff Ukrainian resistance. As with so many nadirs in the West’s relationship with Russia, this war, too, was wholly avoidable. Saying this does not negate Russian culpability for this aggressive war.
 
“A major error is made, however, especially in Western media, when Russian policy is seen as peculiarly that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, when Putin’s policies serve Russian ambitions since the tsarist empire.”

More here: https://www.floppingaces.net/most-wanted/sum-of-fears-is-the-dragonbear/

NATO, Russia understood, would not push any farther east after the USSR collapsed. All those former Warsaw Pact countries now in NATO show the long understood perfidy of Western Europe and the United States. Ukraine is not in NATO, but has expressed a desire to move west.