Experts discuss Russia's relations with NATO following aggression against Ukraine

Reactions of the North Atlantic Alliance to the Kremlin’s hybrid aggression against Ukraine are discussed in the third edition of the new season of the international talk show “Territory of Truth”.

The annexation of Crimea was a real shock for the Western community. The countries of NATO and the European Union called the actions of Moscow aggression against the territorial integrity of Ukraine. At the same time, the West came to realize that the Kremlin’s ambitions might not end there.

“It had been only 6 years since the last American tank returned home from Europe. The US military presence had declined sharply. We all hoped and thought that Russia was going to become a partner with whom we could work. But they (I mean the Russian leadership, not the Russian people) showed that they cannot be a reliable partner. In any case, not in the current circumstances,” says General Ben Hodges, commander of the US Army in Europe in 2014–2017.

Since the annexation of Crimea, NATO has continuously increased its military power. Last October, the Alliance countries conducted the largest military exercises since the Cold War. More than 45 thousand soldiers from 31 countries took part in the maneuvers on the territory of Norway. Just a month before that, in September, Russia conducted the most ambitious exercises since 1981, in which 300,000 troops participated.

The special attention of NATO is directed to the so-called Eastern flank. Among other things, the possibility of placing an American base in Poland on a permanent basis is being considered.

“The alliance must further recognize the potential threat. It is necessary to maintain cohesion and a high level of preparation and readiness in order to send a signal that we are ready to protect all our members. This is what the Alliance is doing at the moment,” Hodges continues.

The United States and Europe are jointly modernizing the Alliance’s command structure, strengthening cyber defense and increasing funding.

In the past three years alone, the NATO countries spent an additional $ 41 billion on defense.

Experts from five countries participated in the talk show.