NATO and Russia seem to be locked in a face off as tensions between them continue to rise. According to Reuters, “Russia on Thursday said that there was no Cold War with the West because it was now a ‘fiery’ conflict and that the European Union and the NATO military alliance were lying about alleged Moscow’s sabotage operations to justify vast military spending.”
This rise in tensions is one of the largest ever seen since the Cuban Missile Crisis as both NATO and Russia seem to be gearing up and preparing for war, as multiple drones have veered into NATO airspace and were quickly shot down in response. According to CNN, “After multiple recent incursions by drones and aircraft into NATO airspace, the alliance is beefing up its presence in Eastern Europe, to counter Russia’s threat.” Lt. Col. Stephen Wahnon of the US Air Force stated that, “These missions, they mean a lot to us” and “When we’re patrolling these borders, they are our borders. So, it means a lot for us to be out here to defend our borders.”
If this does potentially break out into a large-scale conflict or even a war, it could be one of the most destructive seen yet, as many worry this could potentially be the catalyst for World War III. While this outcome could be possible, as international tensions between nations have been exceedingly high as of late, there is still the possibility that perhaps an agreement and a possible de-escalation could be achieved.
