[partiallypro]

Putin had no intention to join NATO, and knew he wouldn't get in. The only reason he would want in is to do the exact same thing that Russia does on the UN security council as a permanent member, which is to stifle and blockade. There are some current NATO members that hold things up, largely Turkey. Coincidentally a large number of smuggled items that get around sanctions to get to Russia...go through Turkey.

[xpl]

Yes, that is a plausible explanation.

On the other hand, I have witnessed how the Putin's rhetoric made a U-turn over those dozens of years — from "Fukuyama-level" liberal and pro-Western (early Putin), to "geopolitical realist" and pretty much anti-Western (as of today).

I don't know how much this reflects his actual worldview transformation (if there was any), but I have reasons to believe that there is no smoke without fire.

[partiallypro]

I highly encourage you to read some well researched books about Putin, his world view hasn't changed all that much. This is a former KGB man. He has held, for a while, that the fall of the USSR was one of the biggest disasters in history. His rise in power was stemmed by a terrorist attack which he possibly had a hand in to orchestrate his rise and the eventual invasion of Chechnya.

[ekkodur]

Have you checked direct or inderect export/imports of Greece with Russia? You'll be ashamed to blame Turkiye. If you don't know Greece is also a NATO member.