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I think Russia has been repeatedly provoked by US/EU. I don’t believe Russia wants to control Eastern Europe.

It’s our leaders that want an antagonistic relationship between Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe.

The motivation is to neutralize the resurgence of Christianity and ethno/nationalism in that part of the world, after Western Europe happily abandoned both of these things.

And while the Soviet leaders had a 30 year head start on suppressing religion in Russia, versus the rest of Eastern Europe, there has been a resurgence of Christianity in Russia since fall of Iron Curtain...... for starters, they aint calling it Leningrad and Stalingrad anymore.

So I don’t see it as an either/or choice between Eastern Europe aligning itself with either US/EU or Russia.

But if you can’t see any connection between how our leaders frown upon the religiosity of Eastern Europe, and our hypocritical stance towards China versus Russia, then I guess you’re allergic to pattern recognition.

I don’t believe Russia wants to control Eastern Europe.

Right, its why Russia invaded Georgia and currently occupies 20% of Georgia. That's why Russia invaded Ukraine and currently occupies 16% of Ukraine. Why did Putin in Dec 2021 demand NATO withdraw from much of eastern Europe, including Poland, the former Soviet countries of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Balkan countries? Was he fearing a NATO attack spearheaded from Estonia? No, this was all about Russia regaining hegemony over major parts of the former Soviet Union. Remember, it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who said that the collapse of the Soviet empire “was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century”

resurgence of Christianity in Russia since fall of Iron Curtain...... for starters, they aint calling it Leningrad and Stalingrad anymore.

Biggest Russian myth sold to the west. In the US monthly church attendance is about 40%, in Russia it is 1%. Not surprising since the Russian Orthodox Church is almost a branch of the Russian government. Its leader Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has told his followers that "sacrifice in the course of carrying out your military duty washes away all sins." Not exactly something from the bible.

But if you can’t see any connection between how our leaders frown upon the religiosity of Eastern Europe

Right, that's why Poland(Much more religious than Russia) is having such a hard time from "our leaders".