Basically, the US and the UK promised Russia that if they would tear down the Berlin wall and allow the reunification of Germany, that NATO would not expand one inch further to the east. After all, the Warsaw group, Russia's equivalent of NATO was to be or had been disbanded, so there was no more enemy in eastern Europe. Declassified documents have recently proved that this promise did take place. The promise was made in 1970. The senior Bush lived up to the agreement and did not expand NATO. However, as soon as Clinton came to power, he expanded NATO in 1997. Since that time, 13 countries in Europe have joined NATO. So as NATO expands Russia gets more and more nervous, feels betrayed,, and then elects Putin, the hard line authoritarian as an answer to that expansion. . The expansion of NATO is the problem, not the actions of Russia. We are governed by idiots in this country. Bill Bradley says it better than I can: