Are insinuating Americans aren't bullies? How does Meslin's comments offend you, a man who has worked for America's Defense Industry. Russia has been contracting in size as they settled border disputes with China, now with Ukraine, and continue working with Baltic states. Maybe you will state Russia is a bully for moving former Soviet Republics to market price for gas, away from their Soviet Era subsidized economies. Maybe, you'll state Russia had a hand trying to stifle color revolutions, which is opposite as they were brought forth due to NGO's and other Western organizations sponsored by The National Endowment for Democracy. They brought economic strife, cooruption, and tyranny under the guise of democracy. CSTO is not needed by Russia for its security, but a tool for inter-relationships. Many former Soviet Republics are trying to rebuild the cooperation and economic sphere the of the Soviet Union, not the Soviet Union itself. The CSTO is useful in combating extremism installed into the region by the CIA used to destabilize the Soviet Union. Also to protect against drug trafficking, something else the CIA uses to fund itself and US Army is overwatching it in Afghanistan. Add that more US base expansions into about 140 nations out of the 193 nations of the world. The US government has taken the US constitution and wiped themselves with it. US isn't supposed to have a standing Army unless time of war. Democracy itself is now proclaimed the best government even though US was created as a Consitutional Republic. Peoples rights are guaranteed, but they are forfeited in the name of domestic security. CSTO are with Russian neighbors and haven't an expeditionary force like NATO is in Afghanistan. It is more like how US works with Canada. Since the Spanish American War, US has decided to be an Empire and moved away from its founding ideals. So you can choose to be baffled and laugh all you want or you can make the world a better place.