I can appreciate the residual (and real) fears of Russia's neighbours, but it is no longer a Communist state and no longer at the head of the gigantic USSR. The ruling elite seem to be ‘mob-guys’ on a grand scale and so their motives are different from the kind of post- WWII and Cold War global-rule fixations of the old communist mob.
Hard to entirely thwart Russian pursuit of its interests in the region and not even very sensible to try to be too obstructive where those interests are 'legitimate', given the energy-security reality and the fact they are an important and powerful resident.
Geography makes it easy for Russia to militarily roll over a good bit of the flat bit of Europe, regardless of obstacles placed in their way. Wouldn't do them any good in the end, but giving them a fair suck of the savaloy seems more sensible than spurring some self-fulfilling attack prophecy.
Keating made some remarks regarding a missed chance to bring Russia more into the fold after the USSR collapsed. Still seems a more pragmatic and productive outlook than aggressively pressing up against its borders with military threats.
