Ukraine itself is an example.
Ukraine was posturing aggressively against Romania, NATO and EU member, as recently as 2009.
I feel bad for what's happening in Ukraine, but they didn't really try to make many friends before 2014.
You’re implying that Ukraine didn’t try to make any friends before the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea. In fact it was Ukraines improving relationship with the west (including Eastern Europe, so not really even ‘the west’ anymore, really just Non-Russia and China the axis of autocracy) that lead to the Russian annexation.
Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, etc. turned around in 1991.
Ukraine didn't. Its people didn't want it.
Downvote all you want, that's just fact.
I'm sorry this is happening. And they haven't done anything to deserve what's happening to them.
But their opinions only changed after aggression. Back in 2005 or so they were still pining after the Soviet Union.
But yes, truth hurts.
Except for Ukraine (East Slavic, formerly part of the Soviet power structures), Belarus (also East Slavic, also formerly part of the Soviet power structures) and Moldova, (who doesn't know what they want to do...) everyone else turned West ASAP.
How come:
Estonia (ex-USSR)
Lithuania (ex-USSR)
Latvia (ex-USSR)
Poland
Hungary
Romania
Bulgaria
Czechia
Slovakia
didn't also have rigged election results? Well, most likely because their people wouldn't allow them. The popular consensus was that turning West was the only option and even populists and wannabe dictators didn't dare go against the people.
My opinions are crude and ghastly and I'm a jerk. But I'm also right.
I hope they manage to push the Putinbots out of Ukraine, Donbass, Crimea.