And I don't think the Russians will "just take our word for it" after the NATO expansion lie we told. You see the history of unrest beginning with Russia's actions in grabbing Crimea. I see the history of unrest dating back much further: all the way to at least 1998 and there's sufficient stuff on this board already about that. You choose to dismiss that and lay the entirety of the blame for the situation at Putin's feet. I think that is a vast oversimplification. YMMV. FWIW.