Chugs:
As you say, Eastern Europe is a far off place of which we know little, but better to draw the line in the sand there now, before Putin is compelled to react to an unprovoked Polish attack upon one of his radio stations.
Eastern Europe is now far better known after hen and stag parties, just they can't remember being there. Unfortunately the politicians since the fall of the Wall have forgotten that adage and I suspect have no idea or even read the works of Sun Tzu, but I bet Putin has. As for spending more money, that ain't going to happen, unless you slash the aid budget to zero and as you are aware weapons manufacture is these day a long term thing, not easy as building Spitfires and Mosquito's was in the past.
Putin had cleverly covered his rear door by coming to accords with the Chinese, who own a very large slice of the deficit in the USA and a fair percentage of Africa. Russia still believes in the Mother Russia as the embodiment of the state.
Pax britanica:
A few steps to 'restore some pride to mother Russia yes I can see the meritocracy /corruptocracy ' behind Putin tolerating but anything bigger and -Dammit Dmitri I wont be able to go to St Tropez on holiday attitudes ' will see his days numbered'
Putin is an old Chekist and not afraid to use old Chekist methods, as Mr Litvinenko found out. Having seen a video of the tax man calling, I suspect that such methods would not trouble Vlad if he had to use them again. Some pirates off the African east coast found out as did some gentlemen in Lebanon in the past, don't poke the bear and complain when he rips your arm off. If Vlad so wished he could start conscription again and call up his opponents into the army and sequester their assets, not a problem if you are an elected dictator and the older generation in Russia would support him.