>>Who were they defending themselves from then?

Um... pretty much the same as always - you (first as the USSR, now as the RF).

Lavrov makes it seem as though NATO is conquering Warsaw Pact nations. I'd dispute that - it's more a matter of those nations needing to band together to counter an aggressive neighbor. Seems Finland and Sweden are joining for similar reasons.

Don't want your (much smaller) neighbors to band together for self-protection? The simplest presentative would be to not be the aggressive neighbor - and then get your neighbors (the ones you used to control) to believe it. Both ships have sailed.

Yes, the RF is grinding forward in the Donbas. This kind of meatgrinder warfare plays to the RF's strengths. What happens in the south is still yet to be determined - particularly as Ukraine receives more advanced weapons and the training required to use them.

Looking at this conflict geopolitically, Russia's only interested in Ukraine as a way to get to the Bessarabian 'gap' which lies beyond Ukraine (but not in a NATO country) Next up: the gap near Warsaw.

Here's the thing: the RF is profoundly overmatched by NATO. Any direct conflict would be disastrous for them - unless they use nukes - and then it's disastrous for us all.