Russia is preparing for a war with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the West. The preparations are for a “long-term confrontation”.

A growing number of Western rulers have also warned of a military threat from Russia to countries along the eastern flank of NATO, calling for Europe to get prepared by rearming.

The chief of the intelligence service said the assessment was based on Russian plans to double the number of forces stationed along its border with NATO members Finland and the Baltic States of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. “Russia has chosen a path which is a long-term confrontation … and the Kremlin is probably anticipating a possible conflict with NATO within the next decade or so,” Kaupo Rosin told reporters at the release of Estonia’s national security threats report, according to a report by The New York Post. 

Rosin claimed that a military attack by Russia is “highly unlikely” in the short term, partly because Russia has to keep troops in Ukraine, and that would be unlikely if the Russian buildup of forces was matched in Europe. “If we are not prepared, the likelihood (of a military Russian attack) would be much higher than without any preparation,” Rosin added.

Estonia and the other Baltic States have increased their military spending to over 2% of the value of their economies after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and NATO allies have raised their presence in those countries.

Germany plans to have 4,800 combat-ready troops in the region by 2027, in its first permanent foreign deployment since World War Two, and Rosin said NATO and its allies were moving in the right direction to counter the Russian threat. –The New York Post.

Russia has repeatedly warned that it will go to war with NATO if the West’s weapons defeat Russia, or lethal aid is sent to Ukraine. One could argue that the West has crossed that line, but Russia has yet to follow through with an attack on NATO.

Russia Warns NATO A Nuclear War Will Ensue If Western Weapons Defeat Russia

The bad news is that Russia’s ability to provide ammunition to its troops is continuing to outweigh Ukraine’s. Rosin said that unless Western support is sustained or increased, Ukraine is unlikely to be able to change the situation on the battlefield.

The Ukraine War Could Become A Nuclear Conflict