Soviet Era
The former Soviet Union was an expansive empire that included many Eastern European Nations, where state decisions were decided in Moscow. After the Cold War, many of these states, such as Ukraine, Belarus, and Georgia, became independent and sought to move away from Moscow.
Post-Cold War
Russia views Western Europe with suspicion because of its history, and certain events which have taken place. For example, during WWII, Russia was invaded by Germany from its Western border, and it was almost destroyed. Therefore, Russia believes that neighboring states must be willing to accept its interests, and it is aggressive in ensuring it goals.
Europeans view Russia with suspicion, because it is an extremely large and powerful country, which acts punitively, and bullies its neighbors into submission. Eastern Europeans would like to deter Russia from being aggressive, and many would like to join Western Europe to do so, and some would even like to join NATO. NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, is a Western military alliance which includes many Western European countries.
Current Situation
Russia disagrees with its neighbors about the future security makeup of Eastern and Western Europe. Eastern European countries, such as Georgia and Ukraine, have made efforts to join NATO, and Russia has aggressively opposed this. The contemporary situation, which is a crisis in Ukraine, stems from this disagreement. The West would like to move Ukraine into its orbit, while Russia would like to ensure that its strategic interests are not violated.
The result of these disagreements has made Russia’s relationship with its neighbors poor.
The Washington Post – Russia Unnerves its Neighbors
The National Interest – Dont Isolate Us, A Russian Perspective
http://nationalinterest.org/article/dont-isolate-us-a-russian-view-of-nato-expansion-722