Here is a very eye opening blog that covers the understanding on the part of members of the European Union that Europe and Russia are bound for eventual head butting. No, this does not refer to military confrontation but it does refer to the fact that the relationship between Russia and members of the EU are slowly sliding into the realm of adversarial.

Here is an excerpt from blogs.ft.com/rachmanblog/2007/10/fulminating-aga.html

         "The Russians are loaded with money and they think they're back. The European Union is waking up to the fact          that it has a      Russia problem." The symptoms of this are many and various. They include - and here I          am          quoting - "the 'hate week' against Georgia, the cyber-attack on Estonia, the Litvinenko murder, the constant          pressure on free speech and democracy, Russian recalcitrance over Kosovo, Russia's threat to pull-out of the CFE          treaty; the threats made to Poles over missile defence and Russia's possible recognition of Abkhazia." This,               according to the official, would make Russia a “revisionist power, which would be getting us into very dangerous          territory”.

Quite telling and interesting as is the entirety of that lengthy blog entry. And do not think for a second that Europe's tepid response to problems with Iran and Syria have not emboldened certain members of Russia's more beligerent elements.