PUTIN'S IMPERIALIST IDEAS. It's not rocket science dummy.
It took Putin thinking that annexing territories of other sovereign countries is a good idea. It took Putin thinking that dissolution of the USSR gulag was a great tragedy.
Putin has NOT displayed any "Imperialistic ideals" - that's pure fuck'in NATO nonsense and propaganda.
He simply and rightfully declared the USA/NATO/EU from 2014 onward as a factual economic & military threat to the Russian Federation. That had further taken advantage of a weak Russia from 1990 onward to press East-wards.
Chechnya was an INTERNAL Russian affair - within the Russian Federation. With Muslim radicals trying to usurp the local government, incl. terrorist bombings in Moscow. 9/11 or the Oklahoma bomber didn't bother the USA at all - right?
However the USA attacking e.g. ISIS in Iraq and Syria is fine with you right? was ISIS terrorizing and usurping Idaho??
Upon the USA aka Bush/NATO having tried to get his paws onto Georgia - Putin supported Russian separatist movements pertaining to two Georgian provinces - According to UN statutes - "the peoples right to decide their destiny" Now if you like it or not, Putin had the RIGHT according to international law to "protect" Russian ethnics in Georgia from suppression and military actions exerted from Georgia, against Russian ethnicity wanting/declaring an own Republic.
The USA is using the exact same arguments and strategy in regards to Taiwan - even though it recognized the CPC to be the only official representative of China and Taiwan. Thus the USA declaring themselves to be the "protectors" of a Taiwanese government and it's aspiration to become an own "sovereign" Republic or State. 5000mls away from the USA!! how far is Georgia from Russia?
Until today, Russia has never occupied Georgia - which they could have done easily - independent of whatever losses.
Feel free to tell which country Putin attacked to "expand" his territory?? before being FORCED to go for Crimea and Ukraine.
NONE
As long as it's in favor of US global hegemony - people like you got no problem to find a thousand excuses.
And for your information, one does not need to occupy indefinitely, nor annex a country to get rid of a political opponent. One just bombs the hell out it, destroys it's infrastructure, implements a new government - and makes sure that all "new deals" are in favor of the attacker. See e.g. Iraq. - until today that country is a fuck'in mess.
So now, who is the USA or NATO to tell Putin - what "we" did in e.g. Iraq was fine, but hey, you can't do that to Ukraine. ??