From a Washington Post review by Michael S. Nieberg headlined “What we’ve misunderstood about Russian motivations for the war in Ukraine”:

At least some of the West’s disbelief over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 came from the absurdity of Vladimir Putin’s stated justifications. The threat of NATO expansion toward Russian borders? Surely, he knew that the alliance — chronically underfunded; brain dead, according to French President Emmanuel Macron; and postured for deterrence — posed no peril to Russia.