I go by what experts in International Relations, like John...

I go by what experts in International Relations, like John Mearsheimer, say. He, and they, have multiple connections with people in US government foreign policy positions.

They have formed the opinion that the decisions in forming and implementing the policy of expanding NATO eastwards involved the decision makers failure to understand the dangers involved and basically how Russia would be likely to respond.

The result being the catastrophic war in Ukraine which NATO has no hope of winning. If you think these people of the US foreign policy elite knew what they were doing I think you are being extremely gracious to them.

On top of this they have markedly increased the risk of nuclear war by encouraging NATO weapons to attack targets inside old Russia.

They are clearly out of their depth, especially as the outcome of the Ukraine war has zero strategic significance to America.

Your assertion that they know what they are doing and that they're deliberately provoking WW III is preposterous.