More than 500,000 NATO troops are currently on high alert. This was stated by the spokeswoman of the Alliance Farah Dahlala, quoted by the American television CNN.
Over the past decade, NATO has revised its strategy and significantly increased its capabilities in response to the growing threat from Moscow.
Since 2014, when Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, NATO has undergone its most significant transformation in collective defense. “We have put in place the most comprehensive defense plans since the Cold War,” she added.
In addition to its war on Ukraine, Russia has also launched a hybrid war across Europe, experts say, involving attacks on infrastructure, cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage, election interference and the use of migrants.
All of this means that NATO allies face a very different geopolitical situation than they have in the last few decades. The situation may be further complicated by the US presidential election in November. Things will look very different if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Due to Putin's military aggression against Ukraine, debates about conscription have intensified in Europe. Perhaps the most surprising transformation is underway in Germany, which since the end of World War II has had an aversion to militarization. And the Baltic countries have already fundamentally changed their military strategy because of the danger of a Russian invasion.