Anything bad that Russia does, is NATO’s fault.
ISW reports (4 April, NATO’s birthday):
“Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov claimed that NATO and Russia are in “direct confrontation,” likely as part of ongoing Kremlin efforts to intensify existing information operations meant to force the West into self-deterrence.
Peskov claimed on April 4 that relations between Russia and NATO have “slipped to the level of direct confrontation” and that NATO is “already involved in the conflict surrounding Ukraine.”
Peskov accused NATO of moving towards Russia’s borders, likely referencing Finland and Sweden’s recent accessions to the alliance, and claimed that NATO is expanding its military infrastructure closer to Russia. Russian officials have long attempted to frame NATO and the West as an existential threat to Russia as part of the Kremlin’s justifications for its war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on March 18 that a full-scale war between NATO and Russia is undesirable but possible.
Peskov’s repeated claims that NATO and Russia are already in “direct confrontation” represents an intensification of this ongoing narrative but is likely still part of Russia‘s reflexive control campaign that uses threatening language to delay and influence important decisions regarding Western support for Ukraine. This Kremlin narrative is also likely an attempt to pose NATO’s defensive activity in response to Russia’s outright aggression as provocative.
ISW continues to assess that Russia has been preparing for a potential conventional war with NATO, including through ongoing conventional military reforms and by recreating the Leningrad Military District (LMD) and Moscow Military District (MMD) in western Russia.
Russian officials have accused NATO of giving Russia a reason to reconstitute the LMD directly on the border with Finland.”
Good - both of those districts will eat up resources they need elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Finland, Sweden and Norway are making massive investments in modern equipment. New submarines, frigates, corvettes and patrol boats for their navies, F-35A and Gripen E/F for their air forces, new Howitzers, AFVs, long range fires, air and missile defense systems, etc. Just yesterday, Norway announced that it will essentially double its defense spending and add 2 brigades to its army.