Putin is playing a dangerous game.
But then we made mistakes also in our Russian policies since George I was President. George I did everything to shore up the collapsing Soviet Union and it collapsed despite his efforts - thanks to ROnald Reagan and a Polish Pope.
When it did, the U.S. was not there with a “Marshall Plan” clone to help the newly born Russian Republic. COnsequently Mr. Putin was able to seize power. Then we started tweaking his tail with that plan to put missiles on the Russian border and supporting the ISlamic nuts in Bosnia against the Christian Serbs. Not smart.
We should have develpoed a pro-active policy to establish functioning capitalist pro-western governments in Eastern Europe and Russia and allied with them against all Muslims - Bosnians, Caucasian Groups, and the Chinese.
We let Putin put himself where he is now - in a postion to checkmate the U.S. in the Middle East if don’t work to get him on our side against the Iranians someway. Everybody has their price.