This is a bullshit article full of wrong or ridiculous claims. NATO expansion did tip the balance of power even further in it's favour, but that's because all of the former Warsaw pact countries wanted to go to the better side, and were afraid of Russia ( with good reason).

Furthermore, there are already plenty of possibilities for NATO missiles on or very close to Russia's borders. Ukraine wouldn't make the slightest difference. The Cuban Missile crisis was just peak American hypocrisy ( their missiles in Turkey were ok, but Soviet ones in Cuba weren't) and isn't really related to the current Russian war of agression which is entirely their own choice and of their own making

PS: how is this in top with 4 upvotes?? I flagged it and it still isn't dead

Just a guy pushing a political agenda

The whole point about provoking Russia with expanding NATO is missed. If I recall correctly, none of these countries was forced to join NATO - that was people who feared russian imperialism. And, guess what, they were all right, as former Soviet Union attacked Chechnya in 1994, Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014. There is no need to provoke Putin. The only thing he needs is assurance that nobody would care.

"Russia responded to this regime change by helping Crimea secede" ...is how the annexation of Crimea is described.