The article is excuse making for the Russians, because he lived there and likes them.
Russia has “good reason” to fear being surrounded?
We all don’t like being “surrounded” that does not mean you invade your neighbors. Ukraine was no threat to Russia, Putin is grabbing at least parts of it to feather his own nest.
I hardly think you need to invade a country to prevent it from entering into trade deals with Western Europe.
This was a super weird article. Apparently, he thinks we half-educated Americans can’t wait to get into a ruckus with Mother Russia. All because the stupid Mrs. Clinton mewls about the now cliché Neville Chamberlain/Munich. And for him to fall back on the the ole “I have friends who are Russian!” is pathetic. Brother Christopher must be rolling his eyes wherever the hell he is. This is a complicated situation and America is certainly in no mood to go to war with creepy Putin.