Russian policy since Ivan IV aka "the Terrible" circa 1550 and up.

Since the time the Duchy of Muscovy before 1500s, Russia was the size of Ohio. From that time on, mostly by wars of aggression, it reached its zenith in 1945. At the time, a tyrant even worse then Ivan IV sat on the blood soaked Kremlin throne. FDR called him, "Uncle Joe", in reality He was the Guinness record holder for most people exterminated 59M/ Chaiman Mao another Commie would smash that record.
Putin, Lavrov, Peskov, Medvevev, Demitriff always try to tell the gullible that Mother Russia is only having SMO to liberate Russian speakers from evil NAZIS.
Liberation in Putin's world is kinda like Mauriopol, you level the city, killing tens of thousands, then force the survivors to bow to the Russian occupier. Then hold a sham referendum, forcing them at gun point to vote to join Russia.
And, something most Americans have no clue about, the reason for example there are so many Russian living in Ukraine, well Stalin murdered and deported over 1M Crimean Tartars too Siberian Gulags, his buddy Lev Kaganovich implemented the Kulak genocide in 1930s, mudereing 12-16M by starvation of shooting. In Baltics, when thy were annexed in 1940, 100K men, boys were rounded up by the NKVD and murdered, after the War, millions were deported to that popular vacation spot, Siberia. Its high time, everyone called them out on the suffering they have caused in past 500 years.