Also, here's what Putin himself has said that proves that your "NATO expansion" line is nonsense.
“First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” Putin said. “As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory. " -Apr.25, 2005
"It was a disintegration of historical Russia under the name of the Soviet Union. We turned into a completely different country. And what had been built up over 1,000 years was largely lost." -Dec.12, 2022
"It is enough to look at what is happening now between Russia and Ukraine, and at what is happening on the borders of some other CIS countries. All this, of course, is the result of the collapse of the Soviet Union." -Sept. 29, 2022
“Peter the Great waged the great northern war for 21 years. It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned [what was Russia’s]. Apparently, it is also our lot to return [what is Russia’s] and strengthen [the country]. And if we proceed from the fact that these basic values form the basis of our existence, we will certainly succeed in solving the tasks that we face.” -June 9, 2022
See? This is how Putin sees the war and how he sees himself. To believe his previous statements about it all being NATO's fault would be as stupid as believing he invaded to "de-Nazify" Ukraine. Putin loves Nazis, as evidenced by the company he keeps and the way he bolsters white nationalism worldwide.
