Re-reading the records of the 1945 Potsdam Conference. One thing that strikes me is how the Soviets defended their gains in E. Europe.

When the Americans refused to recognise the Soviet-installed governments of Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary because they were not democratic, Stalin pointed to Argentina, arguing that it was also undemocratic and yet the US recognised it and invited it to join the UN.

When Churchill complained about Stalin's plans for Soviet control of the Turkish Straits, Stalin put him on the back foot by arguing that what he wanted in the Straits was in no way different from what Britain already had in the Suez Canal.

When Churchill defended British control of Northern Africa because the British paid with their blood to gain these territories, Stalin retorted that in this case the Soviets could claim Berlin, for which they paid with their blood.

In short, Stalin was a master of the art of whataboutism, which has a long history in Russia's foreign policy. Double standards of course also have a long history. This made whataboutism a viable tactic in the past, and continues to sustain it today.