While I think Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a bad idea, I'm not sure that it is Putin's ego alone that drove the decision. If that were true he wouldn't have any support from Russia's government or their people. Right or wrong, Russia feels immense threat from NATO. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia abandoned the Warsaw Pact and the U.S. and their allies were supposed to do the same thing with NATO. Instead, NATO has been adding new members, particularly members that used to be part of the Soviet Union and who share borders with Russia. One of the problems with politics these days is that so few of us take the time to try to understand one another.