Mike Baker

The Kremlin, of course, is all about saber rattling.

It's actually surprising that the chief saber rattler, Dmitry Medvedev, hasn't issued his usual warnings about going nuclear.

Now, stand by, that'll probably happen.

Germany, as one of the countries named in this list, moved quickly to respond.

Berlin summoned the Russian ambassador over what it called direct threats against targets inside the country.

The German foreign ministry described Russia's move as an attempt to undermine support for Ukraine and to test Europe's unity, making it clear that they're not backing down and that they will not be intimidated.

So where does that leave things?

Well, at a minimum, this is a war of messaging that's becoming more pointed and personal.

Russia is naming names, identifying locations, and trying to redraw the boundaries of the conflict.

But there's also a bigger risk sitting underneath all of this.

Because once you start putting specific sites across Europe on the map and suggesting they could be treated as targets, we're inching closer to a scenario where the lines between Ukraine and NATO really start to blur.

Okay, I want to turn to Japan, because what's unfolding there is a pretty clear shift away from decades of post-war pacifism, as Tokyo is opening the door to expanded weapons sales abroad.

Now, on the surface, this might sound like a technical policy change, but it is something bigger.

Just days after hosting more than 30 NATO envoys in Tokyo to deepen defense ties, Japan locked in a $6.5 billion deal to supply warships to Australia.

Japanese officials say they're seeing a wave of interest from partners looking to buy equipment and to tap into Japan's growing defense capabilities.

At the center of this push is Japan's Prime Minister, Sunae Takeichi, whose government has moved to ease long-standing restrictions on arms exports.

That opens the door for Japanese companies to sell lethal weapons systems to 17 countries, everything from advanced frigates to the Philippines to submarines for Indonesia.

And when you look at those countries, the pattern becomes pretty clear.

These are nations dealing directly with pressure from China's expanding military footprint.

Now, Japan has been loosening these restrictions for more than a decade, carving out exceptions bit by bit.