Fault for the initiation and escalation of the Cold War.

There has been a long-standing dispute among historians around the question of fault for the initiation and escalation of the Cold War. Russian observers have often complained that the American response to Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe after World War 2 had the effect of endangering Soviet security and heightening fears of Western aggression. Many Western policymakers and critics have responded that the United States had no choice but to respond to Soviet aggression. In your view, do either of these views hold weight? Could there have been ground for compromise between the two sides of this growing strategic conflict? What lessons could be learned by today's policymakers from this era?