NATO countries have been preparing for a standoff with Russia for 14 years prior to its special military operation in Ukraine, starting in 2008. Admiral Rob Bauer, the head of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Alliance, made this statement during the Warsaw Security Forum, which was broadcasted on the organization’s website. According to the military official, NATO began shifting its mindset back to the principles of collective defense in member countries since 2008.
Bauer claims that this shift was necessary “as a result of Russia’s behavior,” as the country had been a partner of NATO for over 15 years before the Georgian-South Ossetian war and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, followed by the ongoing special operation. “The biggest change in NATO has been the preparation for confrontation with a more aggressive adversary,” said Bauer.
He revealed that the North Atlantic Alliance started changing its military strategy in 2019 and subsequently developed detailed military plans, which were approved at the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July of this year. Admiral Bauer stated that the purpose of these plans is to be prepared for a possible military conflict with Russia.
In late September, a NATO-affiliated journal published an article by a former Pentagon official discussing the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia in a “hypothetical war” against the North Atlantic Alliance. The author expressed the opinion that Moscow might use such weapons to avoid defeat or achieve more favorable conditions for ending the conflict. Russia has repeatedly been urged to stop engaging in “nuclear” speculation. More details can be found in the article published by “Gazeta.ru”.
Earlier, the State Duma proposed organizing an exhibition of destroyed NATO equipment.
