Russia has expanded its military presence to the borders of NATO countries, including the Baltic nations, after invading Ukraine and stationing troops in Belarus. If Russia successfully takes control of Ukraine and maintains bases in Belarus, it will be more challenging for NATO to defend its eastern flank. The proximity of Russian forces in Belarus to Kaliningrad, a territory with missiles capable of reaching Europe, increases the risk for conflict in Europe and beyond. This situation has significantly raised the level of risk for NATO according to experts. Russia's goal is to eliminate Ukraine as an independent nation in Europe. It is now necessary to be concerned about all aspects of this situation and to take the matter seriously. In response to the Russian military buildup, NATO has taken initial steps by deploying additional troops and aircraft to member states near Russia. Further deployments have been decided upon, and there are talks about potentially ending the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act, which restricted NATO deployments in Eastern European countries - a restriction that Russia violated when it invaded Ukraine and took over Crimea eight years ago. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that Russia's actions are a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security and will have significant geopolitical consequences. NATO is increasing its defensive forces in Eastern Europe, along with maritime assets. The presence of Russian troops on NATO's eastern border changes the dynamics of any discussions with Moscow about reconfiguring Europe's security framework. Even if there is a significant increase in military spending in response to the new Russian invasion, similar to the modest increase after Russia took Crimea, establishing new and permanent deployments of forces, equipment, planes, and missiles will have a significant impact on the peace, prosperity, and complacency that the alliance has experienced over the past 30 years. According to Lesser, NATO had been preoccupied with non-core responsibilities like climate and cyber issues, neglecting the fact that there are ruthless individuals who see foreign policy as a brutal competition. NATO is currently reevaluating its strategic concept and discussing a successor for Stoltenberg, who steps down on Oct 1, which are now seen as urgent tasks. Lesser also mentioned that NATO is already shifting its focus to consider its overall purpose more broadly. According to Benjamin Hodges, a former US forces commander in Europe who is now with the Centre for European Policy Analysis, deterring Russia's new aggression will be a complex task. Moving troops and equipment around in post-Cold War Europe has become more challenging due to some bridges and railways being unable to handle heavy armor. Hodges mentioned that political leaders will be surprised at the time it takes to transport items due to EU road regulations and lack of special priority on the German rail system. Additionally, NATO lacks significant air and missile defenses for a modern air war that targets infrastructure like airports, roads, and rail. Hodges also pointed out that protecting the US air base at Ramstein would require an entire battalion of Patriot missiles, but there is only one Patriot battalion in Europe. During the Cold War, the Fulda Gap in Germany was a concern that required heavy US troop defense to prevent tanks from East Germany reaching the Rhine River. The current concern is the Suwalki Corridor, a narrow passage connecting Poland to Lithuania that, if taken over, would isolate the three Baltic nations from the rest of NATO. This corridor separates Belarus from Kaliningrad, the headquarters of the Russian Baltic Fleet and cut off from Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution suggested that an empowered Putin may demand direct access from Belarus to Kaliningrad. This could be part of a new Russian strategy to disconnect the Baltics from NATO and show that the alliance cannot protect these countries. Bond emphasized the urgent need for the United States to deploy two heavy battalions in Poland and increase military presence in the Baltic states. In 2016, NATO decided to station battalions in Poland and the Baltic nations for the first time, referred to as an "enhanced forward presence." Each battalion consists of approximately 1,100 soldiers who are combat-ready but relatively small in size, serving more as a warning rather than a significant obstacle to a Russian advance. Additionally, in 2014, NATO formed a "very high readiness joint task force" currently led by Turkey, designed to quickly respond to threats against NATO sovereignty. This task force includes a land brigade with about 5,000 troops, along with air, sea, and special forces support, with the ability to bring in more reinforcements within 30 days. However, the effectiveness of the smaller force remains unproven, and the larger Response Force it is part of is only a quarter of the size of the Russian invasion force in Ukraine. The larger force established in 2002 was designed to be quickly deployable, but its 40,000 members are currently based in their home countries, making mobilization a slow process. There are concerns about NATO members fulfilling their promise to provide weapons to Ukraine in its conflict against Russia, as well as doubts about the feasibility of delivering arms to Ukraine through air, rail, or road without interference from the Russian military. Additionally, supporting an insurgency against Russia would be risky due to the proximity of the Russian military. Given the tense atmosphere, accidental confrontations leading to escalation cannot be discounted. Analysts are pointing to the incident in 2015 when Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane near the Syria-Turkey border as a potential escalation point. The arms control agreements that aimed to prevent conflicts during the Cold War are now mostly defunct, leading to new risks associated with conventional forces and medium-range missiles. Russia has been actively engaged in cyberwarfare, including hacking the German Parliament, meddling in the last French election, and spreading disinformation on social media in various languages. In light of these new threats, there is a call for stronger cooperation between the European Union and NATO on defense to counter these challenges. Working together on areas such as economic sanctions, cyber resilience, energy security, and information warfare can benefit both organizations, especially since the majority of EU members are also part of NATO. Bond emphasized the importance of maintaining a sense of European autonomy and self-reliance, while also recognizing the necessity of American involvement. There is concern in Europe about the future leadership of the United States, with doubts about President Joe Biden's potential re-election and fears of a return to isolationist policies under a different leader. Bond stressed the need for Europe to increase military spending and efficiency to address real capability needs, stating that these measures are now crucial rather than simply idealistic notions.