Sovereign countries can't choose their allies? Really? When long-time neutral countries have decided that not even being neutral will protect them anymore from invasion, your answer is that they should be invaded?

Russia has the world's largest land mass of any country, and the longest border. And they think they're entitled buffer states all along that border? How is that in the interest of the people in those neighboring states? Most of them have already experienced the joys of having a Russian boot on their neck, and have voted with their feet to control their own destinies instead.