NATO countries could find themselves under attack from Putin’s army as early as 2027, according to a new report. The Russian president is coming under increasing international pressure to call a halt to his brutal war in Ukraine.
A low-level Russian delegation headed to Istanbul on Thursday to hold talks about a possible peace deal, while Putin chose to remain in Moscow. A leading security think-tank has warned Russia could use any forthcoming ceasefire to rebuild its army in preparation for a future war with NATO.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies said that Russia’s army could theoretically be strong enough to launch an attack on a Nato member state in just two years time.
The researchers argued that Putin could test Nato’s commitment to its Article 5 clause by attacking one of the Baltic states.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all used to be part of the Soviet Union, gaining their independence as the Communist empire collapsed at the beginning of the 1990s.
Nato’s Article 5 clause obligates member states to come to the military aid of any ally attacked by an enemy.
However, Donald Trump has raised doubts about the US’ long term commitment to the military organisation, alarming many Western leaders.
NATO relies heavily on American military hardware and personnel and would be massively weakened if the US withdrew.
The US is estimated to provide 400 fighter jets, 20 destroyers and around 128,000 troops to Europe which will all need to be replaced.
It could cost Europe up to US$1 trillion (£752bn) over 25 years to make up for the withdrawal of US forces.
The IISS study wrote: “European allies can no longer assume that the US will provide the necessary military support to defend the continent against Russian aggression.”
Satellite images showing a build up of Russian arms near the border with Finland have further stoked fears that Putin could be planning an attack on a Nato state in the near future.
The chilling photos revealed increased military activity at four locations inside Russia – Kamenka, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2 and Olenya – just 35 miles from Finnish territory.
A recent Finnish government report stated that Helsinki considers an attack on Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic states to be a possibility.
“Russia is strengthening its military presence and activities in its northwestern direction in all operational environments as quickly as possible,” it said.
