Well, maybe my understanding of it is off in some way, but what I meant by “total control” is they did not want to be partners with Russia (rejecting them joining NATO) but only to subjugate them (dissolve USSR, make them subservient to western interests) and this backfired on them.
They didn’t even try though, yeltsin asked to try NATO and 90s Russia was ripe for western investment (exploitation)
The west could have integrated Russia into the capitalist world order, but instead made it clear that cold war sentiments were going to stay
Well, maybe my understanding of it is off in some way, but what I meant by “total control” is they did not want to be partners with Russia (rejecting them joining NATO) but only to subjugate them (dissolve USSR, make them subservient to western interests) and this backfired on them.