The Royal Air Force said the mission demonstrated NATO's commitment to collective defense and its ability to respond to threats.

Domestic theatre: For Putin, confronting the West plays well at home. As Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, recently claimed, “Europe fears its own war”. For the Kremlin, that fear reinforces the narrative that Russia is the assertive power, and that the West is indecisive.

Former Soviet Union expert Dr. Ronald Suny, and Distinguished University Professor of History and Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan and Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History at the University of Chicago,

A book by German political analyst Carlo Masala, "If Russia Wins," outlines how Moscow might make a grab for Estonia in 2028.

His goals are to scare, exhaust and divide Europeans, causing them to question their support for Ukraine and undermine its efforts to repel Russia’s invasion. Ultimately, he also wants to make the United States look weak and fragment the NATO alliance.

NATO and the EU on Wednesday sought ways to boost anti-drone defences, as Europe scrambles to counter the threat from Russia after a series of air incursions.