Final answer:
The United States originally viewed the USSR as an ideologically aggressive power seeking global domination; however, recent evidence from declassified Soviet documents suggests it was more focused on its own security and stability. Historical narratives are now recognizing the agency of Eastern European countries within the Soviet sphere. Post-Cold War, the US has pushed for democracy in the former Soviet bloc, while dealing with renewed Russian assertiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The perception of the USSR by the United States during the Cold War has been a subject of extensive debate and reassessment, especially in light of new evidence from Soviet archives. Originally, the U.S. portrayed the Soviet Union as an aggressive power bent on global domination, a view typified by documents such as NSC-68, which posited that the USSR sought "to impose its absolute authority over the rest of the world." However, recently declassified documents have shown a more complex picture, indicating that the Soviet Union was primarily driven by concerns over its own security and stability, rather than an inherent ideology of aggression.
Although the Soviet Union did engage in human rights violations and suppressed democracy within its borders and sphere of influence, the notion that all decisions in Eastern Europe were directly imposed by the Kremlin is being reconsidered. Instead, there was a level of historical agency among the leaders and people of Eastern Europe. It's also becoming apparent that the Soviets viewed the U.S. as an aggressor and believed that the spread of communism could reduce the threat of wars, aiming to protect Soviet interests and those of allies.
In the post-Cold War era, the U.S. has encouraged democracy and economic reforms in former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries, with many aligning with the EU and NATO. Tensions still exist, especially as Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, has sought to reassert its influence in the region, leading to a defensive stance by the U.S. and its allies.