I would suggest that rather than imperialism, this is more to do with matching NATO's strength, as was the intention when the Warsaw Pact was made.
The Warsaw Pact which totally wasn't about Imperialism, but ignore the tanks rolling through Prague and martial law implemented in Poland when the people got uppity.
Reading the history it seems to have started as a result of the tension between communism and capitalism. Would you agree?
I think it was tension between the US and Russia, in which they both demonised each other's political stances, but their motivations were both power and influence rather than ideology.
Much like Putin's bullshit about 'ethnic Russian oppression' and 'deNazification' when it's a blatant land-grab for financial and trade purposes, securing Crimea and Black Sea ports.
This attitude is escalating the conflict.
The conflict hasn't escalated since Russia invaded (the second time). It's been open warfare, with indiscriminate targetting of civilian centres by Russian forces, since that time. That was the escalation.
You have to take into account how this comes across from Russia's viewpoint.
There are many Russian viewpoints, some of them are in prison because they state their anti-invasion viewpoints. Ukraine is far more united in its consideration that Russians should go back to Russia and leave their country alone - I'm not saying that there are no Ukrainians who would object to a surrender, but I think as a proportion of the populace they are probably far rarer than Russians who'd approve of a unilateral withdrawal.
They see the West trying to blockade Russia, with Poland and the Baltic states, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey; Ukraine and Georgia in NATO's sights; why else would the Russians annex Crimea in 2014?
Because they want to control the Black Sea. Yes, they see 'threats', but that's because it seems to be written into the Russian viewpoint that anything they don't actively control is a threat.
Crimea is the point at which Russia is cornered if it becomes part of NATO.
Crimea is none of Russia's business, it's part of Ukraine. Russia needs to accept that it can't dictate terms to the rest of Eastern Europe - indeed, if it had worked that out and had worked with people, they wouldn't have felt the need to court NATO for protection.
O.