What was the attitude of Western nations towards the USSR's influence over Eastern Europe?

The highly critical and resistant attitude of Western nations towards the USSR's influence over Eastern Europe emerged primarily during the Cold War as a response to the expansion of Soviet power and the establishment of communist regimes in countries like Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. The Western allies, particularly the United States and Western European nations, viewed this expansion as a direct threat to democratic values and capitalist systems.

This critical stance was fueled by events such as the Berlin Blockade, the Hungarian Revolution, and the establishment of the Iron Curtain, which symbolized the division between Eastern and Western Europe. The West regarded Soviet actions as attempts to spread communism and suppress individual freedoms, prompting policies like containment aimed at curbing Soviet influence. The criticism reflected broader ideological conflicts, with the West promoting democracy and freedom while opposing the totalitarian nature of Soviet governance in Eastern Europe.

The other options fail to capture this dynamic: support for Soviet expansion is clearly at odds with Western principles, indifference would contradict the proactive measures taken, and encouragement of self-determination does not align with the West's view of Soviet-imposed governments limiting the autonomy of Eastern European nations.