> overestimation of Russia's danger on the US and EU Depends what you mean by “EU”. Western Europe? Sure, Russia maybe isn't a big deal for them. But the Baltic states, which are EU and NATO member states, understandably consider their next-door neighbour a huge threat.
What would a big country benefit from invading its weak neighbor in the 21st century? Putin isn't an angle but he is surely not Europe's or US' enemy like the liberal media is trying hard to push that narrative. Many of the Baltic states are inexplicably pushing the west towards a pointless conflict with Russia. It's just like Georgia in 2008 or maybe even like Poland with Nazi Germany in late 1930s.
Russia has pretty much always desired to control the Baltic states for the same reason: having them as proxy states create important buffer zones to a country that has otherwise weak borders protecting it's population centers. Historically most of Russia's geopolitical actions can be explained by Russian border protectionism. If Russia didn't have the Caucuses mountains to rely on I'd be willing to bet you'd see them laying pressure in that border region to capture them too.