That is a patent lie that Putin himself admitted was false. He has already stated on multiple occasions that his goal is the resurrection of the USSR, whose collapse he views as the “greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century.”

Furthermore, blaming NATO expansion completely ignores Putin’s own obsession with controlling the politics of what he views as traditional parts of “historic Russia,” which is little more than veiled reference to the Russian empire. Putin has also admitted that he is “returning Russian territory,” not invading and taking from others.

Also, claiming the limits of Western aid is somehow “warmongering” is asinine. If anything, the carefully measured and foot-dragging approach proves the opposite. Russia began this war by invading and in the hopes of restoring Yanukovych to power, Putin’s chosen puppet. The West wants to avoid escalation, and has managed to limit itself because Ukrainian forces have consistently dealt Russia with defeats from the beginning.

Quoting from well-known and established politicians who echo Russian propaganda does not equate to a factual argument. The only reason the “provocation” argument holds any sway is because of shared naïveté that ignores the fact that former SSRs keep asking to join NATO for their protection, which Putin has consistently demonstrated is valid (on a count of how he keeps threatening and invading them).