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But have they actually become more threatening to other European nations? Russia's regime has already made statements threatening or questioning the borders of

But have they actually become more threatening to other European nations? Russia's regime has already made statements threatening or questioning the borders of Poland and the Baltic states, in addition to numerous other threatening moves it has made in recent years -- including Medvedev's recent threat to turn Kyiv into a "lump of lead", which would no doubt have direct consequences for Europe. For more detail: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41588834 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41588834 So to answer your question: "Yes".

mdp2021 2y ago
While of course many of the utterings that came from some side are stirrers of concern, one should also remember they have a piece of doctrine called "escalate to de-escalate" - which also involves a strange framework for the interpretation of statements. This also makes the trolling confusing to the decrypter.
myrmidon 2y ago
Maybe we are talking past each other. In my view, talking shit and murdering a few hundred civilians is not "threathening a nation", the same way Ukraine is not threatening Russia (as a nation) right now. Being able to install a puppet government would be a big threat. Economical control (=> like gas) would be a smaller one. Complete military conquest would be the biggest one. All of the above look now actually less likely than 10 years ago to me (judging with hindsight).
- aguaviva 2y ago
  Maybe we are talking past each other. We certainly are. In my view, "talking shit" about invading additional countries, while actually engaged in a large-scale invasion of a neighboring country (on top of a centuries-long history of actually invading and occupying those countries) cannot be interpreted as anything other than directly threatening those nations.
  - myrmidon 2y ago
    Yes absolutely, but threatening more often does not make them a bigger threat. I'm not saying that they are harmless (being a nuclear power, obviously!), but I strongly believe that they are less of a threat to EU-nations than they were 10 years ago-- they basically played their whole hand in the Ukraine, collected some experience, lost some equipment, threw away and ruined countless lifes, and now, pretty much regardless of what happens in the next years, they are in a weaker position and less of a threat to any european country than 10 years ago.
    - aguaviva 2y ago
      Disagree, based on the increased frequency/belligerence of the regime's threats, and its increasingly delusional and irrational tone and behavior generally over this time period.

mdp2021 2y ago

While of course many of the utterings that came from some side are stirrers of concern, one should also remember they have a piece of doctrine called "escalate to de-escalate" - which also involves a strange framework for the interpretation of statements. This also makes the trolling confusing to the decrypter.

myrmidon 2y ago

Maybe we are talking past each other. In my view, talking shit and murdering a few hundred civilians is not "threathening a nation", the same way Ukraine is not threatening Russia (as a nation) right now. Being able to install a puppet government would be a big threat. Economical control (=> like gas) would be a smaller one. Complete military conquest would be the biggest one. All of the above look now actually less likely than 10 years ago to me (judging with hindsight).

aguaviva 2y ago
Maybe we are talking past each other. We certainly are. In my view, "talking shit" about invading additional countries, while actually engaged in a large-scale invasion of a neighboring country (on top of a centuries-long history of actually invading and occupying those countries) cannot be interpreted as anything other than directly threatening those nations.
- myrmidon 2y ago
  Yes absolutely, but threatening more often does not make them a bigger threat. I'm not saying that they are harmless (being a nuclear power, obviously!), but I strongly believe that they are less of a threat to EU-nations than they were 10 years ago-- they basically played their whole hand in the Ukraine, collected some experience, lost some equipment, threw away and ruined countless lifes, and now, pretty much regardless of what happens in the next years, they are in a weaker position and less of a threat to any european country than 10 years ago.
  - aguaviva 2y ago
    Disagree, based on the increased frequency/belligerence of the regime's threats, and its increasingly delusional and irrational tone and behavior generally over this time period.