Recently, I realized my understanding of the history of relations between Russia and the United States was limited. In high school, history wasn’t my favorite subject, and I often found myself dozing off during class.

I knew there were times when Russia and the United States were allies, such as during World War II, but more often, they were at odds. Growing up watching American and European movies, I often saw Russians depicted as the bad guys.

To better understand their relationship, I watched documentaries, listened to podcasts, and read a lot of materials. This article provides a summary of the history between these two superpowers, from their early interactions to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

This article doesn’t cover every single event in the most precise detail because of my own limitations in knowledge, and such a comprehensive exploration would exceed the scope of a single article.

Instead, the goal is to provide a broad overview of the key events that have shaped the relationship between these countries, understanding why they occurred, and the consequences they have had on the relationship.

Early Days of Russia-U.S. Relations

The early relations between Russia and the United States began in the 18th century. In 1763, Russia engaged in trade with the Thirteen Colonies, which were under British control along the Atlantic coast of North America. This trade violated Great Britain’s Navigation Acts, which restricted the colonies to trading only with Britain.

Official diplomatic relations began in 1776 when America declared its independence from Great Britain. The Russian Empire, under Catherine the Great, remained neutral in the conflict between America and Great Britain.

Great Britain aimed to block supplies from reaching the American colonies, but Catherine the Great diplomatically challenged Britain’s maritime dominance to continue trading with America. This benefitted the American colonies by allowing them greater access to supplies, supporting their war effort against Britain and fostering communication and relations between Russia and America.

Russia officially recognized the United States as an independent state on October 28, 1803, and diplomatic relations were formally established in 1809.

During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Russia was one of the few European powers to offer support to the Union cause.

In 1867, the United States purchased the territory of Alaska from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million, in what became known as the Alaska Purchase. The sale was motivated by Russia’s desire to focus its resources on its European territories, while the U.S. sought to expand its territory and influence.

From the 1880s to the early 20th century, violent attacks occurred against Jewish communities in Russia. Many Poles and other ethnic groups in the Russian Empire also faced political oppression and economic hardships. These conditions prompted waves of immigrants, including Jews and Poles, to move from the Russian Empire to the United States.

From the early days until the early 20th century, relations between the United States and Russia were mostly amicable, though recent events affected how Americans viewed Russia.

Fall of the Russian Empire

In 1894, Tsar Alexander III died, and his son, Nicholas II, inherited the throne, becoming the last tsar of the Russian Empire.

At the time, the Russian Empire had a population of around 170 million people and was the world’s fifth-largest economic power due to rapid industrialization.

However, the country remained fragile, with stark contrasts between the aristocracy living in luxury and the working class and peasantry living in hardship.

The Russo-Japanese War in 1904, driven by competing interests in the Far East, was a challenging period for the Russian Empire. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth on September 5, 1905, which was mediated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.

The Russian people expressed democratic demands, leading to strikes in factories.

On Bloody Sunday in 1905, the army charged a crowd of demonstrators in front of the palace, who were presenting a petition from the working class to the tsar. More than 1,000 people died in the violence.

Following this event, several revolutionary activities and additional strikes occurred.

Workers’ councils, known as soviets, were established during this period. They had a major impact on shaping the trajectory of the movement.

The tsar made concessions and established the Duma, a representative assembly. Although the Duma gave people a taste of democracy, its power was limited as Tsar Nicholas II continued to govern as an autocrat.

The Russian Empire entered World War I in 1914 against Germany.

The Russian army was mainly composed of untrained peasants with poor equipment. The war severely disrupted the country’s economy, leaving no one to work in industry or agriculture. Factories struggled, peasants were unable to deliver their harvests, and both cities and soldiers faced starvation.

The war brought numerous military defeats and resulted in approximately 2 million deaths.

In 1917, new strikes erupted and intensified, leading to the army joining the side of the insurgents and abandoning the battlefield. The tsar’s authority diminished.

A provisional government composed of bourgeois leaders was established; they aimed to continue the war, while the soviets called for peace. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917.

I strongly recommend the Netflix series “The Last Czars” which document this part of history.

Rise of Communism

The United States had high hopes for Russia’s transition to democracy and its potential to rejoin the fight against Germany. The U.S. was the first country to recognize the provisional government in Russia.

The United States entered the war against Germany and expected Russia to follow suit. However, the situation in Russia took an unexpected turn.

The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a far-left faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Party founded in 1903. They seized power in Russia during the October Revolution in 1917.

Following the October Revolution, Russia officially exited World War I and cut off diplomatic relations with the United States.

The October Revolution was part of the broader Russian Revolution of 1917-1923, a period of political and social upheaval in the Russian Empire.

From the time of the October Coup, the United States became increasingly concerned about the spread of communism in Russia and its potential influence on the West. The U.S. ideology of capitalism was fundamentally opposed to communism.

At the time, the United States did not take direct action, fearing potential backlash. However, they covertly supported the White Army, an anti-communist force that fought the Bolsheviks in Russia.

Suspicions and Opportunities: the Interwar Period

Despite the changes in Russia, things were not going smoothly.

The Communist Party established a dictatorship, leading to a civil war between the White Army and the Bolsheviks.

The Soviet secret police, known as the “Cheka,” imprisoned the Bolsheviks’ enemies and executed the tsar and his family.

People were starving.

The United States would soon shift its focus back to Germany, but in the meantime, the priority was to demonstrate that capitalism was superior to communism. For example, the U.S. provided significant aid to Russia during the 1921 famine through the American Relief Administration, which distributed large quantities of food.

The U.S. continued to trade with Russia, and in 1929, Henry Ford even built a factory there.

In 1930, the U.S. experienced the Great Depression, but there were numerous business opportunities in Russia, especially with Stalin now in power and the USSR rapidly evolving.

The United States feared the Comintern, an international organization led by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Comintern aimed to spread communism worldwide, which raised concerns about potential threats to the existing order in the United States.

During the Great Depression, communism appeared more attractive in the U.S. due to the perceived successes of the Soviet Union.

However, President Roosevelt saw an opportunity to maintain diplomatic relations with Stalin and the USSR for international peace and stability, as well as to prevent the USSR from supporting subversive movements or activities within the U.S.

Additionally, the USSR owed debts to the U.S. from the time of the tsars, giving the U.S. hope of repayment.

While the Great Depression offered economic opportunities for collaboration with the USSR, the reality was that the U.S. primarily provided technology and expertise to the Soviet Union without receiving equivalent benefits in return.

World War 2

Despite their differences, the US and the Soviet Union shared concerns about the rise of fascism in Europe and Asia, particularly the aggressive actions of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

When World War II began in September 1939, the US and the Soviet Union had differing approaches.

The Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Germany (the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact).

USSR invaded Poland with Germany. And invaded Finland and the baltics as well afterwards. The initial idea of USSR was to benefit from the war to propagate communism in the west.

Following these actions, USSR is kicked off from the league of nations, which was the first worldwide international organisation with the goal to maintain world peace.

The US initially maintained a policy of neutrality and non-intervention in international conflicts. However, as tensions in Europe and Asia escalated, President Roosevelt began to shift US policy toward supporting allies against the Axis powers.

The situation changed in June 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), despite the non-aggression pact.

This event led to the US providing support to the allies and the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program, but still without any intervention in the conflict.

A famous quote of President Harry S. Truman explained the not so cool strategy of USA at this time:

“If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible although I don’t want to see Hitler victorious under any circumstances.”

USA main goal was the defeat of Germany, but to weaken USSR as much as possible in the same time.

Staline Dissolved the Comintern in 1943, to improve the relations with the allies, and show his commitment against Germany. He wanted to show that USSR interests were not to propage communism in the west anymore, but to beat the Nazis.

Cold War

After World War II, Germany was divided and occupied by the Allies.

The western part of Germany was occupied by the United States, France, and Great Britain, while the eastern part was controlled by the Soviet Union. Berlin, located in the eastern part of the country, was similarly divided among the Allies.

Europe was divided into spheres of influence, with Western European countries coming under the influence of the United States, while Eastern European countries fell under Soviet control as satellite states.

The term “Iron Curtain” was used by Winston Churchill in a speech in 1946 to describe the division between Western democracies and the Eastern bloc under Soviet control.

The United States introduced the Truman Doctrine on March 12, 1947, promising support to countries threatened by communism. This marked the beginning of a more confrontational approach toward the Soviet Union and is often considered the start of the Cold War.

Later that same year, the United States launched the Marshall Plan, an economic aid program designed to help rebuild Western European countries and contain the spread of communism.

The United States extended the Marshall Plan to the Soviet Union, but the terms were unacceptable to the Soviets because they included the requirement of accepting democracy and free elections in Soviet satellite states.

The Soviet Union perceived this as a threat and prohibited its satellite states from participating in the plan.

In response to the Marshall Plan, the Soviet Union established the Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) as an alternative economic cooperation plan that aimed to use the resources of its satellite states to rebuild the USSR.

In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a defensive alliance of Western countries against the Soviet Union, was established.

This led to the formation of the Warsaw Pact in 1955, which was the Soviet Union’s response to NATO and served as a collective defense treaty among its Eastern European satellite states.

Arms Race

The Cold War is well-known for its arms race between the two superpowers.

The United States was the first to develop and use nuclear weapons in war, with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

The Soviet Union tested its first nuclear bomb in 1949, much sooner than the United States and the United Kingdom had anticipated.

From that point, both superpowers sought to gain superiority over their rival, leading to an arms race that would be a major factor in the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Military spending accounted for around 15% of the USSR’s GDP, compared to just 5% of the United States’ GDP.

In 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed to prevent the migration of German citizens from East Berlin to West Berlin, as many sought to escape the “dictatorship” in the East.

This arms race brought the world closer to a potential nuclear war than ever before during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The United States had deployed missiles in Italy and Turkey, while the Soviet Union responded by placing missiles in Cuba, close to the U.S. coast.

Detente

The period starting in 1963 is known as the “Detente,” characterized by a decrease in tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Although ideological differences between communism and capitalism remained, there was a growing recognition of the need for peaceful coexistence and competition rather than direct confrontation.

The two superpowers established a direct communication line between Moscow and Washington, known as the “red telephone,” and signed treaties to reduce the power of weapons. They also began participating in international summits with other countries to discuss important global issues.

Additionally, both sides committed to principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

However, on December 24, 1979, Soviet forces entered Afghanistan to support the communist government, which was facing increasing opposition from anti-communist rebel groups known as the mujahideen. This invasion was a direct violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and drew widespread international condemnation.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter condemned the Soviet action and announced a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. This event reignited Cold War tensions and marked the end of the Detente period. The United States supported the mujahideen, leading to a costly conflict that lasted a decade.

End of the Cold War and Dissolution of the USSR

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

• Gorbachev introduced a series of reforms known as perestroika (meaning restructuring) to restructure the Soviet economy and political system. This included introducing market competition, autonomy for state-owned enterprises, and elements of capitalism such as profit incentives, private ownership, and foreign investment. The goal was not to end socialism but to make it more efficient. However, these reforms faced resistance within the USSR, leading to economic tensions, and the Soviet Union struggled to compete with the more dynamic capitalist economies of the West.
• Another key reform under Gorbachev was glasnost (meaning openness), which promoted greater transparency in government and society. This included more freedom of speech, a relaxation of censorship, and increased access to information. Glasnost led to a surge in public discussion and criticism of the government, revealing the extent of corruption, inefficiency, and social issues within the Soviet Union.

Gorbachev’s goal was to reform and modernize the USSR to make it more efficient and to reduce tensions with the West. However, these changes eventually contributed to the collapse of the USSR.

Glasnost led to mass protests and demands for political reform in Soviet satellite states such as Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Romania in 1989. This weakened Soviet influence in the satellite states.

These revolutions culminated in the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which symbolized the collapse of European Communist governments and the end of the Iron Curtain dividing Europe.

In August 1991, hardliners within the Communist Party attempted a coup to overthrow Gorbachev and reverse his reforms. The coup failed, but it weakened Gorbachev’s position and accelerated calls for change.

Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian SFSR (Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), emerged as a key figure opposing the coup and supporting the transition to a market economy and political pluralism.

On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union, and the USSR officially dissolved the following day.

Fifteen independent states emerged from the dissolution of the USSR, with Russia being the largest and Boris Yeltsin serving as its president.

Space Race

The space race was a major aspect of the Cold War rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union.

It began with the Soviet Union’s launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957.

The US and the Soviet Union both saw space exploration as a way to demonstrate their technological and military superiority.

The Soviet Union achieved several significant milestones in the early years of the space race, including the launch of the first human into space (Yuri Gagarin) in 1961. The Soviet Union also conducted early explorations of the Moon, including the launch of the first spacecraft to impact the Moon’s surface (Luna 2) in 1959 and the first successful soft landing on the Moon (Luna 9) in 1966.

In response to Soviet achievements, the US established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958.

President John F. Kennedy set the ambitious goal in 1961 of landing an American astronaut on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth before the end of the decade.

The Apollo program was the centerpiece of the US effort to land humans on the Moon. It involved a series of missions leading up to the first Moon landing. Apollo 11, the most famous mission, successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

The Soviet Union also aimed to land cosmonauts on the Moon and developed its own Moon landing program, known as the N1/L3 program. However, the program faced significant technical challenges and setbacks, including failed launches of the N1 rocket.

The successful Moon landing by Apollo 11 in 1969 was a major victory for the US and a turning point in the space race. Although the Soviet Union continued its space exploration efforts, including missions to Venus and Mars, it shifted its focus away from a manned Moon landing.

The space race led to rapid advancements in space exploration and technology during the Cold War, which continues to benefit society today. Since the Apollo missions, there has been no human return to the Moon.

After the Cold War

Economic Changes in Russia

Following Gorbachev’s reforms to expand democracy within the socialist system, Boris Yeltsin aimed to transition Russia from a socialist to a market-based economy.

The goal was to quickly shift from a command economy to a market economy using a strategy known as shock therapy—a set of policies intended to rapidly liberalize the economy.

In late 1992, Yeltsin launched a program of free vouchers as a means to move state-owned assets to the private sector. Citizens were given vouchers representing shares in state companies, which they could exchange for stock in these companies.

Although each citizen initially received a voucher of equal face value, most quickly ended up in the hands of intermediaries who bought them for cash.

Russian people had limited understanding of private property, getting richer, and other aspects of a market economy. As a result, the transition to a market economy proved challenging due to the population’s lack of experience and education on the subject.

In the mid-1990s, when the Russian government faced a budget deficit, it implemented a “loans-for-shares” scheme. Wealthy individuals lent money to the government in exchange for shares in state companies as collateral.

Through the privatization process and the loans-for-shares scheme, a small group of individuals—often with connections to political elites—acquired large stakes in major Russian industries, such as oil, gas, metals, and telecommunications. These individuals became known as the oligarchs.

The oligarchs quickly accumulated substantial wealth and gained control over significant portions of the Russian economy. They were able to manipulate markets and exploit economic instability to increase their wealth further, using their financial power to influence political decisions and policies, thereby reinforcing their economic dominance.

These economic changes resulted in increased levels of existing issues such as inequality, along with the rise of Russian oligarchs.

Meanwhile in the West

Relations between the United States and Russia were initially cooperative during the 1990s.

The Warsaw Pact was formally dissolved in 1991. However, NATO, which had been established to counter the Soviet Union, was not disbanded.

In the mid-1990s, NATO expanded eastward, accepting new member countries from the former Soviet bloc.

Russia viewed this expansion as a threat, particularly as former Soviet bloc countries joined NATO. Russia felt that NATO was no longer necessary since the Cold War had ended.

The instability within the Russian government weakened Russia’s position on the international stage.

The perceived threat of NATO enlargement contributed to the rise of nationalist sentiment within Russia, encouraging anti-West sentiment and amplifying anxieties about national security.

By Yeltsine, Hello Putine

Boris Yeltsin’s presidency was marked by economic challenges, political instability, and widespread corruption.

Yeltsin’s popularity declined due to his health issues and the 1998 financial crisis in Russia.

Russia needed a new successor.

The oligarchs, who played a significant role in governing the country, believed they had found the perfect candidate in FSB director Vladimir Putin, who was seen as loyal and obedient.

Putin was initially promoted to the role of prime minister before becoming president in 2000.

Putin quickly gained popularity due to his handling of the Second Chechen War (which began with a series of bombing attacks attributed to Chechen separatists, though some have questioned whether these were a Russian plot to create a scenario for Putin). He restored stability and national pride, adopting a hardline stance on law and order and tackling organized crime and corruption.

Four months after he was elected, Putin summoned the oligarchs and told them they would no longer be involved in politics and that he was now in control.

After serving two presidential terms, Putin stepped down in favor of his prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who became president while Putin took the role of prime minister. However, to the Russian people, Putin remained the dominant leader. Medvedev served only one term as president, after which Putin was reelected president, and Medvedev returned to the role of prime minister.

Bush vs Putine

After the September 11, 2001, attacks, Vladimir Putin expressed strong support for the United States. Russia provided assistance in the fight against terrorism and supported efforts to combat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

However, tensions arose when U.S. President George W. Bush pushed for a military intervention in Iraq based on allegations of weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism. Russia, along with other countries, opposed the invasion, questioning its legitimacy and the evidence presented. This disagreement over Iraq led to diplomatic strains between the U.S. and Russia.

In 2002, the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, a key arms control agreement. Putin criticized the move, stating it was a mistake that could disrupt strategic stability.

The Russian leadership, particularly Putin, accused U.S. officials of supporting and encouraging anti-Russian movements in former Soviet republics, such as the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003 and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004. These movements led to the ousting of pro-Russian leaders and the establishment of pro-Western governments. Putin viewed these events as Western attempts to undermine Russian influence in the region.

On February 17, 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia. The declaration was supported by many Western countries, including the United States and most European Union member states. Russia condemned the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by the United States and other Western nations.

In 2007, the United States announced plans to install missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia strongly opposed this move, arguing it threatened its security and could prompt a new arms race.

Despite Russia’s opposition to NATO’s further eastward expansion, Bush announced in 2008 his desire to see Georgia and Ukraine join NATO. Russia warned that such a move could lead to a “deep crisis” in Russia-Ukraine relations and negatively affect Russia’s relations with the West.

Obama and Medvedev

President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev sought to reset the bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia, with the aim of improving cooperation and reducing tensions—a policy known as the “reset.”

One of the key achievements of the reset was the signing of the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) in 2010, which aimed to reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads held by both countries.

The United States and Russia also collaborated on addressing Iran’s nuclear program, working together to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities.

Additionally, the two countries cooperated on the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route used to transport goods and supplies to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Despite these cooperative efforts, several issues continued to be contentious, such as missile defense, NATO expansion, and human rights concerns. These issues created challenges in fully resetting the relationship and achieving long-term stability between the two nations.

Putin’s Return to the Presidency

As Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, relations between the US and Russia began to deteriorate.

Syria Civil War Starting in 2011

Russia has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the start of the conflict, providing military, political, and diplomatic support.

Russia’s support for Assad is driven by its desire to maintain strategic interests in the region, including its naval base at Tartus and its broader influence in the Middle East.

Russia has engaged in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, including hosting peace talks and working with other regional and international actors.

However, Russia’s support for Assad has complicated peace negotiations and been a source of tension with other countries.

The United States initially supported moderate opposition groups fighting against the Assad regime, providing military and humanitarian aid.

However, U.S. support has been cautious and limited due to concerns about the potential rise of extremist groups within the opposition.

The United States has been involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, including supporting peace talks and advocating for a political transition in Syria.

Additionally, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on the Assad regime and other associated entities.

Snowden Case in July 2013

Edward Snowden, a contractor for the United States government, copied and released hundreds of thousands of pages of secret U.S. government documents.

In July 2013, Snowden was granted political asylum by Russia.

This decision significantly aggravated relations between the United States and Russia and led to the cancellation of a meeting between President Obama and President Putin that was scheduled for early September 2013 in Moscow.

Invasion of the Crimea in 2014

Crimea has historical ties to Russia, having been part of the Russian Empire for centuries before being transferred to Ukraine in 1954 during the Soviet era. Despite this transfer, Crimea remained home to a large ethnic Russian population, and Russia maintained a naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city.

In late 2013 and early 2014, mass protests known as the Euromaidan movement erupted in Ukraine in response to then-President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to suspend an association agreement with the European Union.

The protests led to Yanukovych’s ousting in February 2014 and the establishment of a new interim government in Ukraine.

Russian forces quickly moved to take control of Crimea’s major cities and strategic locations, including military bases and government buildings.

On March 16, 2014, Crimea held a controversial and internationally unrecognized referendum on joining Russia.

The referendum showed overwhelming support for joining Russia, though the legitimacy of the vote was widely questioned.

On March 18, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty formally annexing Crimea into the Russian Federation.

The annexation was met with international condemnation, with Russia justifying its actions by referencing Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

The annexation strained Russia’s relations with the West and led to a significant deterioration in U.S.-Russia and EU-Russia relations.

As a result of the annexation of Crimea, Russia was expelled from the G8, which then reverted to the G7, and faced economic sanctions from Western countries targeting Russian individuals, businesses, and sectors such as energy and finance, aiming to pressure Russia to reverse its actions.

Since the annexation, Crimea has remained under Russian control.

The situation remains a contentious issue in international relations, with most countries refusing to recognize Russia’s claim to the peninsula.

Dombas War in 2014

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, pro-Russian sentiment increased in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Separatist movements emerged, advocating for independence from Ukraine and closer ties with Russia. The Donbas region encompasses the Ukrainian oblasts (provinces) of Donetsk and Luhansk, which have significant ethnic Russian populations and historical ties to Russia.

Russia has been accused of providing military and logistical support to the separatists in Donbas, including weapons, equipment, and training.

There have also been reports of cross-border shelling and incursions by Russian forces into eastern Ukraine.

Efforts to de-escalate the conflict and establish a political solution have been made through the Minsk agreements—Minsk I in September 2014 and Minsk II in February 2015. However, these agreements have had limited success, and violations have been common, reflecting the ongoing challenges in reaching a peaceful resolution.

Ukraine War

Vladimir Putin has long asserted that Ukraine and Russia share deep historical ties and that Ukraine is part of a larger Russian cultural and historical space.

Russia has consistently opposed NATO’s eastward expansion, which it perceives as a threat to its security and sphere of influence.

Moscow has expressed concerns about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, arguing that it could bring NATO military infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders, posing a strategic threat.

Russia seeks to maintain its influence in its near abroad, particularly in former Soviet states like Ukraine.

In the interview with Tucker Carlson, Putin claimed that Russia did not start the war but instead tried to stop a war against Russia.

The war in Ukraine can be seen as an escalation of the events that transpired in Crimea and Donbas in 2014.

But that’s a topic for another day, and we’ll wrap things up here for now!