Yeah great movie. One of the nuances I think you might be alluding to is the difference in motive between Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) and his loyal officer Vasily Borodin (Sam Neill). Borodin describes his American Dream of homes (and wives?) in both Montana and Arizona, and an RV to drive between them. He asks Ramius who replies, “I have no such appetites.” Ramius isn’t defecting the super-submarine technology to the USA in order to live a better life in America, he’s doing it on principle. He’s a very cool customer, your Lithuanian.