I was a staunch Cold Warrior but the continued expansion of NATO is provocative in nature. I understand where countries like Ukraine and Poland want protection, especially Poland because Russia has historically destroyed them periodically.
At this point I would suggest Trump make a strategic decision to not allow further NATO expansion but do not announce it, just stop where you are. Poland in NATO makes sense but allowing former regions of the Soviet Union in NATO is again provocative in nature and not needed.
I would like to see Trump and the US military take a hard look at NATO and its mission-—what is it? Is it in our national interest? Could Russia launch a successful invasion of Western Europe in their current military state? I doubt it. Only the US and France would be in a position to resist anyway in any meaningful manner.
[I was a staunch Cold Warrior but the continued expansion of NATO is provocative in nature.]
What Russia wants or doesn’t want is not our problem. Russia almost 2x the size of the next largest country in the world. It has plenty of breathing room - certainly more room than any other country on earth. The issue is that Russians are about conquer or be conquered. Note that mainland Russia is only 50 miles across the Bering Strait from Alaska. They are not a theoretical threat.