March 05, 2024
What NATO allies must do to prepare for Russian aggression
The U.S. has long framed the invasion of Ukraine as a strategic failure for Russia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared it as such in June 2023, saying: “Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been a strategic failure, greatly diminishing Russia’s power, its interests, and its influence for years to come.”
And yet, in the last two months, a growing number of Western officials have warned of a military threat from Russia against countries along NATO’s eastern flank.
In order to fix all this, the U.S. and its allies need to build a shared understanding of the threat that opportunistic aggression poses to NATO.
The chief of Estonia’s intelligence service said in February: “Russia has chosen a path which is a long-term confrontation … and the Kremlin is probably anticipating a possible conflict with NATO within the next decade or so.” Meanwhile, the Danish and German defense ministers have similarly warned that Russia could attack NATO in less than a decade.
The critical question now is: Does Russia pose a credible threat to NATO?
Currently, there are numerous factors working to dissuade Russia from challenging NATO, but there’s one scenario that stands out as a plausible pathway to conflict — and that’s if the Kremlin comes to underestimate Western, and most importantly U.S., resolve to fight under certain conditions.
Read the full article from POLITICO Europe.
More from CNAS
-
Russia's Lavrov: Security Talks without Moscow a "Path to Nowhere" | CNN
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and program director at the Center for a New American Security, joins CNN to explain about the difficulties of negotiations are not territ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
Our Experts Put the Kibosh on Hopes for Ukraine Peace Anytime Soon
There has been a diplomatic flurry around Ukraine in recent days, yet the theme of progress has been hollow words and flip-flopping. Is the White House serious about peace, or...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
Trump and Putin Could Be Pursuing a WW1 German-Style Neutral State for Ukraine | Jim Townsend
Donald Trump needs to decide whether he wants Ukraine to be a "frontline for European security" or a "buffer zone" whereby the country would have no military power once a ceas...
By Jim Townsend
-
U.S. Has to ‘Ratchet Up Pressure’ on Putin to Get ‘Genuine Negotiations’: Kendall-Taylor
Questions are mounting over what exactly "security guarantees" from the U.S. would entail for Ukraine. NBC News Senior White House Correspondent Garrett Haake reports the late...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor