The Kremlin no longer calls it a „special military operation.“ Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said publicly what many had long thought: „A war is being waged, this is a real war.“ And then he went a step further - accusing the Western capitals of being direct participants in it.

„Behind Kyiv stand Berlin, and Paris, and The Hague, and Oslo, and, unfortunately, Washington,“ Peskov stated. According to him, they „help guide the targets via their satellites“ and „deliver foreign weapons.“ In other words, Moscow is openly accusing NATO countries of waging war against it - not with soldiers, but with intelligence, satellites and guided weapons.

It's worth pausing on what this means, rather than just copying it down. If the Kremlin officially declares Western states participants in the war, that is rhetoric that raises the stakes - a justification built in advance for a possible escalation. Rhetoric in a war is rarely accidental; it is part of the weaponry. That is why Peskov's words are not merely a description of the situation, but also a message aimed at both the West and the Russian public.

For us in the Balkans, this is not distant news. Every escalation between Russia and NATO means higher energy prices, greater pressure on the countries trying to sit on two chairs, and a sharper division of the continent to which we too belong. When the big powers threaten each other through statements, it's usually the small ones who pay the bill. The question hanging in the air is simple and uncomfortable: how far does this rhetoric go before it stops being just rhetoric?