I coupled it with Putin evidently telling his pilots to prepare for war. That’s obviously what our military service people do, but to say it in public is rather provocative.
If that comment was mis-represented, then I would admit this is a big nothing burger.
As for the actual flight, I do agree it is probably routine. I’m not sure if they changed things up here, but even then it’s not a terribly big deal.
Russia was promised that NATO would not expand eastward. So now Poland, and the Baltic states, all former Russian "allies" are full NATO members. NATO troops and aircraft are now stationed in these countries.
The US has spent eight years manipulating events in the Ukraine, formerly a province of Russia. What if California leaves the union and Russia starts to interfere directly politically? What would the US response be? I don't like communists, but ask yourself, if you were Putin how would you have reacted to eight years of Obama/Hillary/Kerry et al?
As for this incursion, it happens all the time. His air force is training and they want to gather information on RAF responses. Standard cold war stuff.