RUSSIA’S HOSTILE SHENANIGANS: Well, they’ve made a lot of enemies.

However:

It’s often difficult to conclusively prove Russian trickery as it is occurring or even in the immediate aftermath of Kremlin gray-zone warfare operation. A recently released RAND study, “Russia’s Hostile Measures in Europe,” says that hard evidence “of intent from the Russian state, evidence of influence from Russia on a local proxy” and evidence that Russian influence on a proxy “led to the achievement of a Russian foreign policy objective … is almost never available.”

Yes, but:

Bold Kremlin misinformation, apparently spread by the Russian government and its proxies through digital, broadcast and print media, confuses critics and provides the Kremlin with adequate diplomatic cover.

Up to the point that people have heard and seen enough. Finnish soldiers’ training with NATO forces is diplomatic and military pushback. A substantial number of voters in Finland and Sweden favor joining NATO. In Sweden, joining NATO was once a forbidden subject. No longer.

For deep background, see Chapter 4, Cocktails from Hell: Five Complex Wars Shaping the 21st Century.