US Urges NATO to Ready for Russian Attack Within Years as Allies Target 5% Defense Spending
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 2
US Urges NATO to Ready for Russian Attack Within Years as Allies Target 5% Defense Spending
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 2
Summary
Leaked U.S. intelligence has pushed Washington to tell NATO allies to train and invest for a possible Russian land or cyberattack on a member state within the next few years.
Matt Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said allies must speed weapons production and exercises because Russia is on a war footing while NATO economies largely are not.
The warning startled European officials because it shortens the timeline from the 10-15 years many allies had assumed when NATO set a goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035.
Recent incidents in Germany, Romania and Estonia are being treated by some European officials as Russian hybrid attacks already testing the alliance, even as Moscow denies plans to strike NATO.
Analysts still say Russia is too tied down in Ukraine for a major near-term assault, but they warn it could rebuild enough capability for limited attacks or a Baltic threat by 2028.