system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
The Soviet military was a tremendous threat to Western Europe through the entirety of the Cold War. To the point where NATO planners believed (probably correctly) that only nuclear weapons would have chance to stop them. Acting like it was some kind of false and constructed narrative is incorrect.

The more recent concern was that they could knock out the Baltics before significant NATO forces could be surged into theater and if we look at how much Ukrainian territory was taken in the early days and the generally poor state of Europe's militaries that is not an unrealistic fear to have. NATO and the US always assume enemy readiness and capabilities are 100% to avoid underestimating opponents.
gpt
The Russian Federation is *not* the USSR

The same applies to their respective militaries.

With the Soviet military also being supplied by Warsaw Pact countries.  
Additionally a major supplier of weapons within the Soviet Union was the Ukrainian SSR.