A state's security doctrine, in compressed form, needs to be "assume the worst". Slightly less compressed, it should be "When a nearby state keeps saying they

A state's security doctrine, in compressed form, needs to be "assume the worst". Slightly less compressed, it should be "When a nearby state keeps saying they own you, then take the credible threat seriously and pretty much pretend they're going to act on that, even if you think it would be stupid of them to do that, because history is full of examples of states doing this kind of thing. Prepare accordingly".