'To test their resolve': Putin could launch limited attack on Nato, US intel warns
US intelligence assessments suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin may consider a limited military or cyber attack against a NATO member to test the alliance's resolve. Officials warn that such actions could occur if Russia fails to find a favorable exit from the war in Ukraine.
Why it matters
This warning highlights the potential for escalating conflict between Russia and Western military alliances, threatening regional stability in Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin could seek to test Nato’s resolve by launching a limited attack against a member of the alliance in the coming years, according to recent US intelligence assessments cited by CNN.The assessments warn that Moscow could explore several forms of escalation, ranging from a cyberattack to a limited military incursion designed to challenge Nato’s unity and its commitment to collective defence. The objective, according to three people familiar with the intelligence, would not necessarily be to trigger a full-scale confrontation, but to test how far the alliance would go to defend one of its members.Under Nato’s Article 5, an armed attack against one member is treated as an attack against all.
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