Ah ha! I was on the right track.
My parents are like that too. They lived through events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, so I can see where they're coming from. I used to be like that Russia as well. That was back in the day when I took my parents' opinion, and made it my own.
But, as simply as I can put it, I'm a child of the 90s. So when I began to think for myself and form my own opinions, my 90s roots took hold. What I think of Russia is quite different than what I thought 5-6 years ago. Now I want closer cooperation, and for us to stop treating them like second-class citizens.
Those two things the old me would have never gone for in a million years.