US intelligence warns Putin could attack NATO before war in Ukraine ends
Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin could launch an invasion of a NATO country while Russia is still at war with Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to US intelligence, the Kremlin leader may try to expand the fighting further into Europe.
He would need to do so to break the deadlock in the war against Ukraine.
These assessments come amid concerns over shortages of certain critical munitions that the United States would need in the event of a potential military confrontation with Russia or China.
US intelligence warns that Putin may indeed intensify aggressive actions against Kyiv's European allies.
The range of possible actions by the Russian leader is quite broad, from cyberattacks and localized provocations to a limited ground invasion.
It is also possible that the Kremlin leader could resort to even more dangerous steps if he finds himself in a desperate situation.
Although the likelihood of the most extreme scenario — a limited Russian ground invasion of a NATO country — is currently assessed as low, analysts believe it is gradually increasing.
Until now, such a scenario had been considered highly unlikely because it would trigger Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides for the collective defense of the Alliance's member states.
Recently, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk predicted that Russia could attack a NATO country within months rather than years. At the same time, most intelligence agencies in NATO member states believe this could happen within the next few years.
Lithuanian intelligence recently warned about a new Russian plan involving Ukraine and the Baltic states.
In addition, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski explained what to expect next from Putin in light of his setbacks in Ukraine.
It also became known that Russia may be preparing false flag provocations against NATO countries.
