It was therefor important for both sides to prevent the other side from increasing their power by gaining more supporting satellite states. (politics.stackexchange.com)
Thus, its permanent strategy is to surround itself with satellite states which provide defense in depth and natural defensive perimeters of their own. (politics.stackexchange.com)
[5] Many have noted in recent years that the dialogue between individual countries in the Eastern Bloc and the West was much stronger than those between the Soviet satellite states themselves. (dailyserving.com)