that isn't really the issue

the issue is that, at least for a long time, they where too naive believing Russia never would go as far as attacking NATO member or economical partners

was that dump, yes, but that was a _very_ wide spread believe

and while I have seen that mindset a lot I haven't really seen any one not worrying because there are other countries in between. I mean maybe such people do exist, further west then I live.

Like in general until recently, even after the annexation of the Crimea, there commonly was the consensus that the time of offensive wars between European countries (including eastern EU and Russia) is over because it makes so little sense (economically, power wise) that none one would be dump enough to do that. But no one calculated in a autocrat with Napoleonic complex, or should be say soviet union complex. And if told the pleasant truth, with facts, people did what they always do with unpleasant truths: Try to ignore them.