Placing nato right on Russia’s border is a poor idea at least to me
We promised them no more nato fourteen more nato members in Eastern Europe ago
That said of course Ukraine has a right to fight for what they want and man have they suffered huge casualties comparatively and a large diaspora
Problem is they could never prevail by themselves against such a formidable foe despite best efforts in a real war unlike the SMO which obviously failed when we dumped arms on them and cash to support their economy
I don’t think we care as much about them per se as making unwoke in the way Putin bleed
No one promised Russia there would be no new NATO members. There was only an agreement that there would be no NATO troops in former East Germany. And there aren’t.
Why should only Russia’s concerns be respected? What about Central- and Eastern-European nations that suffered because of Russia for such a long time? Why should these nations suffer again? Do you realize why these nations want (or wanted) to become NATO members? Because they fear Russia. As you can see in Ukraine, their fear was justified.
I believe the West was too lenient on Russia. Russia lost the Cold War. Russia’s economy collapsed. The West should have required de-Communization (and de-despotization) of Russia, but it didn’t. Much of the trouble Russia causes today is a result of this. In my country there are no Communist symbols in public places and no statues of Communist murderers. In Russia, on the other hand, there are plenty of them.