I worked for Newt Gingrich when the offer was on the table for Russia to join NATO. When they declined they were still given observer status which wasn’t revoked until 2014.
Also, NATO did not “push” to Russia’s borders.
Former Soviet slave states applied for and received NATO membership and protection in expectation of the Russians trying to reconquer their former slave states.
And here we are faced with the Russians trying to reconquer their former slave states.
What we are faced with is the US/NATO exploiting these former Soviet states in order to threaten Russia.