Russia has been attacked three times by Western European countries - Napoleon (1814) and twice by Germany (1914 and 1941). Russia didn't like that.
After WW2, Stalin kept control of the Eastern European countries they had conquered because they provided a buffer against future Western European attacks. That led to 77 years of peace in Europe.
Over the years, some of the Eastern European countries got tired of being controlled by Russia, so they broke away and some even joined NATO. Russia didn't like that and wants them back under Russian control.
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