Some of the more tiny NATO countries are pretending to carry the biggest stick, at least judging by their outspoken jingoistic rhetoric of late. Small 'Eastern flank' countries like Estonia and Lithuania have long exhibited this loud anti-Moscow rhetoric, but Denmark is increasingly joining in.

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen in a fresh interview given to Financial Times has declared NATO must step up its response to Russia, warning that recent drone incursions are "only the beginning" of an alleged 'hybrid war' and sabotage campaign aimed at dividing Europe.

"We need to be very open about [the fact] that it probably is only the beginning," she told FT. "We need all Europeans to understand what is at stake and what’s going on. When there are drones or cyber attacks, the idea is to divide us."

Over the last couple weeks Danish authorities have claimed that hundreds of mystery drones have at various times over that span sought to disrupt commercial and military aviation over the small northern European country. Top officials have linked these to Russian operations, though without presenting any evidence.

The FT interview itself admits there's no evident Russian linkage to the drone phenomenon of the past month, but still Federiksen and other European leaders are pushing for more defense spending and readiness:

Copenhagen has not established who was behind its drone sightings, but Frederiksen has said Europe’s "primary enemy" is Russia. Increased European spending on anti-drone and cyber defense equipment alone would not suffice, she warned.

"The idea of a hybrid war is to threaten us, to divide us, to destabilize us. To use drones one day, cyber attacks the next day, sabotage on the third day. So this will not end only by [boosting] capabilities," she said.

The incidents in Europe, which have largely been blamed on Russia as an act of "hybrid warfare", remain largely unexplained. However, they are similar to the numerous drone sightings over protected sites in the Northeastern US last year. 

That prior event inspired mass public concerns - and serves as reminder of the potential for hype and hysteria (without evidence for a foreign power's involvement) - after officials suggested the car-sized drones might be a test of American security by a foreign enemy like Iran.  

Meanwhile, somebody is as expected seeking to take full advantage of this current climate of fear in Europe...

"We are ready to ramp up the production of drones, electronic warfare systems, and other critical components, including through joint production format and with the help of the SAFE instrument," Zelensky stated. "All of this can protect all of us – the whole of Europe."

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Thursday that it is "impossible to believe that Russia will attack NATO."