this is not anything to do with Cold war -- it is natural state of survival. One thing East Europeans get and West Europeans are clueless is the Russian Expansionism.
The immediate prescription of half-wits is "Cold War".
I did not make the North European Plains flat.. do not blame me.
Russians will move their border as far as you allow them to. I know their mentality, for I am one, and I grew up in a town full of army and fleet people.
I saw many types like that, before I got out of the country. Those will keep bully you more and more to see where you set the line, and punch them back.
In their calculus, being punched back is not bad at all, if before that they were able to punch you "for free"
- Europe destroyed the USSR without war.
- Putin gets more resistance protests in Russia because of common sanctions
- Gazprom can't sell with profit within Russia, they need Europe
- Russia invests a lot of percentage of their GDP on military. But it's still nothing compared to Europe ( russia vs europe military spend: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=russia+vs+europe+milit... ). Remember, Europe isn't even spending 2%
- Without Ukraine, Russia can't even use their naval fleet. That's why they are being aggressive. The sanctions of being aggressive are hurting them, but cutting off oil to Europe would hurt them a lot more.
- Europe has never been so close to Moscow. They are more scared than you imagine
- Russia has way more borders to defend than any other country. That's why they are willing to get run over by China. Their relationship will fail sooner or later. China doesn't invest in Russia despite longtime promises. Their relationship will hold untill Putin realizes there is not much to gain or till China doesn't need them anymore.
Russia needs China more ( because of borders ) than the other way around. China also wants more security at it's borders, but it's less of a requirement.
- Russia's and Turkeys relationship is also not that stable. It was because of one man that they talked again, by the use of a special Turkish expression that said: sorry, but not that sorry. Their relationship could hold untill one of both actually tries to improve relations with Europe, not happening soon though.
If Europe would want to hurt Russia, they only need to heavily subsidize renewable resources, that would hurt max. 5% of Russia's GDP. No war required and don't bite the hand that feeds you ;)
Russia is still 100% capable to just put reservists into t55s and send them in the general direction of Europe. The only two real option to stall them for Nato will be to redeploy US forces to Europe or use French nukes.
Some countries. Propaganda is hard to undo. See how people believe capitalism equates 1-on-1 with "free market" and think that communism means they cannot have personal belongings. Lol.
Ask the Ukrainians.
