When you live in an world where you only have a conversation amongst your NATO peers and Western friends, are only concerned about your Western economic and political interests, (((and you entirely exclude and discount someone else’s concerns))), you end up with a war.
There was no Russian threat until we initiated by doing what we said we would not do (NATO East expansion into former Soviet border states) and where they stated for a long time that this is a no-go for them: NATO expansion into Ukraine.
Biden offers NATO to Ukraine in October 2021: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-president-zelenskiy-holding-talks-with-biden-adviser-says-2021-12-09/
By November 2021 Russia is building up forces along the Ukrainian border, 92,000 additional men and holding large scale maneuvers and live fire exercises: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/01/us-russia-military-movement-ukraine/
I am not sure how more “cause and effect” it can be?
We didn’t bend any direction for them. We just entirely ignored them and did whatever we wanted.
Twenty years ago man. OK, 18 years ago in some cases. It’s a crock.
In this case you have cause and effect reversed. Look at the dates. Russian buildup Nov 1, US talking Nato Dec 9.