Great Powers have "sphere's of influence" particularly over countries on their borders. The prominent exponents are the USA, Russia & China.
The argument that they should not have these "spheres of influence " is a moral argument...not a Geopolitical one.
For example the original US sphere of influence was ecapsulated in its Monroe Doctrine but since WW2 that has been extended globally in the form of the Cold War and US OS wars.
During the USSR, Warsaw countries were Russia's major sphere of influence and constituted a buffer zone between the USSR & the West.
While Nato was formed to prevent another European war, its creep eastwards arguably has increased that risk and the current war is evidence of that.
