NATO expansion affected only the timing, because once a country joins NATO, invasion becomes much more risky for Russia. Other than preventing Russian expansion, a country joining NATO had zero impact on Russia.
Remember the aid to Africa concerts in ‘86? We are the world? All that money raised disappeared. It was like the prose written on the bathroom wall:
When afflicted with the crabs take the ashes from a lighted cigarette and rub it in the affected area. It won’t cure the crabs but it sure feels good!
Not only is Putin trying to reinstitute the Soviet Union or a Russian empire, that’s exactly what he said in his speeches justifying the war.
And all these Moscow Roses ignore that Russia was demanding we withdraw from existing NATO countries. That was a deliberate impossible demand because Putin wanted to invade.