In a european democracy, things are pretty clear: Influence from Russia and China is forbidden. Influence from the USA, Germany, France is permitted. There are countless examples.
Russia has invaded Ukraine, our neighbor and we have a pretty good reason to stay far away from them, not to mention some historical bad blood with many tons of gold we gave them for safe-keeping in WW2 that they never returned, or the crimes the red army did while retreating through Romania at the end of WW2.
Centuries of war are irrelevant. Talk about this one. And start in 2014, or even before if you're in the mood.
This has approximately as much credibility as trying to argue that Hitler was defending German citizens in Poland and France. Much like Germany with its concentration camps and Gestapo was a very dangerous place at the time for any German (and other people), Russia in 2024 is one of the most dangerous places for any Russian (and other people). Freedom indices place Russia near the end of global ranking[1]. The mere act of writing and performing an anti-war poem can get you raped by police and sentenced to years in a horrible penal colony[2], where poor conditions and lack of medical care slowly kill you[3]. If you insist on pursuing the "defense" narrative in either case, most people will rightfully label you severely misinformed, malicious, or braindead.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_freedom_indices#List_o...
[2] https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/12/28/russian-poet-sen...
[3] https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/8805/2024/en/