putin: "NATO and the EU are threatening us, we need to attack a country that is not a member of either to deter them."
NATO/EU: ...
putin: "If those pesky Ukrainians just stopped defending themselves this would all be over!"
NATO: Receives applications from historically anti-NATO Sweden and Finland.
putin: "Just give up already! Our war economy can keep going for years! I promise...."
EU: Funds massive investments in weaponry.
russia, by acting completely irrationally, has succeeded in solidifying NATO control of the far northern Atlantic, making historically neutral Sweden a NATO member, and militarising the EU. Jesus fuck they're so stupid it hurts....