Russia Ukraine war, page-195452

The sanctions on Russia in 2002 were non existent and relations were OK, the cold war was over.

Relations with Russia started heading south about then with some key events.

The United States' withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002 facilitated the development and deployment of missile defense systems in Europe. Russia viewed this withdrawal as a direct threat to the strategic balance because they were not treating NATO as a threat and not developing or implementing similar ballistic defence systems at that time and certainly not placing them in canada or mexico..

In 2007 the US announced the plan to place missile defense systems in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic. Russia perceived this as a direct threat to its security, despite assurances that the system was not directed at Russia it reduced the deterrent value of russian missile response to a NATO attack.

This anti ballistic missile defence spurned russian missile development including hypersonics in an effort to resestablish the strategic balance.

Since then NATO expansion has become an issue viewed with deep strategic suspicion by russia that the anti ballistic missile systems NATO deploys are getting closer and closer to Russia and would facilitate a NATO first strike with a defence to the russian response.