[aguaviva]

Try finding any evidence that Russia wants to expand its federation into Europe.

Ukraine is in Europe, last we checked, and Putin is openly seeking to expand the Federation's borders there as we speak.

They don't need any more land.

The regime's core delusion is that it needs a "sphere of privileged influence" (in its own words) over former Soviet republics, and Eastern Slavic peoples in particular. And that it has a right to assert control over pretty much any piece of land the Russian Empire has ever sat on for any length of time, as it sees fit.