Why did the soviet union want to create a 'buffer' zone between themselves and western europe? to protect themselves from potential military invasion to protect themselves from failing western economies to provide a stronger resistance to democracy to grow a communist empire

To protect themselves from potential military invasion

To the USSR, they believed that their Western Allies would most likely launch an invasion directly after the war ended to take out the Communist government (which General George S. Patton wanted), and so they quickly tried to take control of the nations surrounding the border of the USSR as a buffer zone so that they could get ready for an Allied invasion in case it happened.

hope this helps

they were byzantines