Putin sits atop a huge portion of the world's resources, and where he may well lose his rational side from time to time, he can't push through to his old satellites while they form economic ties to the rest of the world.

Putin's goal is hard currency, not land.

As an example, relating to this post, and not trying to invoke Godwin, Hitler said just prior to invading Poland, “Now Poland is in the position I wanted. [...] I am only afraid that some bastard will present me with a mediation plan at the last moment”

Err, no they're not.

If you can master an adversary by economic means, you have no need for war. If a war in Europe should erupt, it will be the West who is the aggressor. What does Russia want with old eastern bloc countries teetering financially? Just collect the rubles for the gas and occasionally let your renters know you can turn off the spigot anytime you want, and it's “legal” too.

It's like China's chronic purchase of US bonds, you really think they collect our debt just to make money? Now who's whistling in the dark?

It says, and always said, 'the West', never 'we'. Your own cut and paste proves that!

Why would Putin send in tanks to a country when he can just collect tribute through oil and gas? I think the old style cold war is over, it's the economic power struggle that matters to Putin now.

The only real cold war that will take place is when Russia shuts down its pipeline to the rest of Europe.

And how much nicer is even a right-shifted Germany going to be toward Bruno when winter comes and Europe needs that gaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzz?

The pen is mightier than the sword, except of course in a sword fight.

You also had the Munich Agreement where we sold Czechoslovakia down the river to the Germans, and of course the Yalta Agreement.

More recently, of course, was the West's inaction during both the Hungarian revolution and the Soviet's invasion of Czechoslovakia to stop the Prague Spring.

All-in-all, they have no reason to trust the West, except their greater fear of Russia.

Here is a good overview from Wikipedia: Western Betrayal

And it is not like the Caucasus and all Baltic states don't have a historical reason to believe the West will not come to their aid. Because prior to WW II, the West certainly ignored our treaty obligations to them when it counted.

What treaty obligations are your referring to?

And it is not like the Caucasus and all Baltic states don't have a historical reason to believe the West will not come to their aid. Because prior to WW II, the West certainly ignored our treaty obligations to them when it counted.

Then came the internet. This is a missile shield far more potent than any nuts and bolts could offer. In order to be great and terrible, a leadership needs vast numbers of mind-numbed and brainwashed men to enact their agendas without question. Those days are over… When The Bear starts cracking down on people with PCs, then begin to worry..