The threat was always there but Western side of the continent tricked itself into this narration that normal relations with Russia can be established. While countries who were trapped in Warsaw Pact/Eastern Bloc for nearly a half of the previous century knew already that you can never trust Russians.

Some of Central-Eastern politicians were warning the rest of the continent but they were ridiculed, portrayed as populists or blinded Russian-haters, and "only" full-scale invasion of Ukraine was needed so Western countries would finally understand that imperialistic aspirations of Moscow never went dormant.