Russia has extended its military presence to the borders of NATO countries, including the Baltic nations, after invading Ukraine and deploying troops in Belarus. If Russia is successful in taking over Ukraine and maintaining bases in Belarus as expected, its forces will stretch from the Baltics and Poland to Slovakia, Hungary, and northern Romania, posing a significant challenge for NATO in defending its eastern flank. The proximity of Russian forces in Belarus to Kaliningrad, a Russian territory with missiles capable of reaching Europe, increases the risk for conflict with NATO in various regions for years to come. This development has major implications for NATO, according to experts. Russia's goal is to eliminate Ukraine as an independent country in Europe. NATO has responded by sending extra troops and aircraft to member states near Russia. There are talks about abandoning the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act due to Russia's actions in Ukraine and Crimea. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Russia's actions are a threat to Euro-Atlantic security and additional defensive forces are being deployed. Discussions with Moscow about changing Europe's security structure are affected by Russian troops on NATO's eastern border. Increased military spending in response to the new Russian invasion, similar to the modest increase seen after the Crimea annexation, will result in significant and permanent deployments of forces, equipment, planes, and missiles. This will have a detrimental impact on the peace, prosperity, and complacency that has characterized the alliance over the past three decades. According to Lesser, NATO had become distracted by other issues such as climate and cyber, neglecting its core responsibility of dealing with ruthless individuals who see foreign policy as a blood sport. With NATO already revising its strategic concept and discussing a replacement for Stoltenberg, who steps down on Oct 1, the urgency of these tasks has only intensified. Lesser emphasizes that NATO must now broaden its thinking about its purpose. Benjamin Hodges, a former commander of US forces in Europe and current member of the Centre for European Policy Analysis, stated that deterring a newly aggressive Russia will not be an easy task. Moving troops and equipment in post-Cold War Europe has become more difficult 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 move equipment under EU road regulations and without special priority on the German rail system. He also pointed out that NATO lacks significant air and missile defenses for a modern air war, which typically targets infrastructure such as airports, roads, and rail, as seen in Ukraine. Hodges highlighted the need for an entire battalion of Patriot missiles to protect the US air base at Ramstein in Germany, but there is only one Patriot battalion in Europe. The Fulda Gap in Germany, once a concern for Cold War strategists, was heavily defended by US troops to prevent the Warsaw Pact from advancing tanks from East Germany to the Rhine River. The current focus is on the Suwalki Corridor, a narrow passage connecting Poland to Lithuania that, if seized, would isolate the Baltic nations from NATO. This corridor separates Belarus from Kaliningrad, the base of the Russian Baltic Fleet. Analysts suggest that an empowered Putin may seek direct access from Belarus to Kaliningrad. This is just one aspect of Russia's potential strategy to separate the Baltics from NATO. The threat to Poland is now more urgent, with suggestions to deploy heavy battalions in Poland and strengthen military presence in the Baltic states. In 2016, NATO agreed to deploy battalions in Poland and the Baltic nations for the first time, known as an "enhanced forward presence." These battalions each consist of approximately 1,100 soldiers who are combat-ready, but small in size, serving more as tripwires rather than a significant obstacle to a Russian advance. Additionally, in 2014, NATO established a "very high readiness joint task force" under Turkey's command, designed to quickly respond to threats against NATO sovereignty. This task force includes a land brigade with around 5,000 troops, supported by air, sea, and special forces, with the capacity to deploy additional reinforcements within 30 days. However, the effectiveness of the smaller force remains untested, and the larger Response Force it leads is only a quarter the size of the Russian invasion force in Ukraine. The larger force, established in 2002 for rapid deployment, consists of 40,000 members who are based in their home countries, making it difficult to gather them quickly. There are concerns about NATO members fulfilling their promise to provide weapons to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Transporting arms to Ukraine by air, rail, or road could be impeded by the Russian military, even if done by contractors rather than NATO soldiers. Additionally, supporting an insurgency against Russia carries risks due to the proximity of the Russian military. Accidental confrontations escalating into conflict are a possibility in the current tense environment. Analysts are highlighting the incident in 2015 when Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane near the Syria-Turkey border as a potential escalating factor in current tensions. With arms control agreements from the Cold War era becoming defunct, there are new concerns about the deployment of conventional forces and medium-range missiles. Russia's involvement in cyberwarfare, including hacking the German Parliament and interfering in elections, as well as spreading disinformation on social media, has added to these threats. It is argued that stronger cooperation between the European Union and NATO on defense is necessary to address these challenges and move away from political and ideological differences. Collaboration with the EU on areas such as economic sanctions, cyber resilience, energy security, and information warfare could benefit both organizations, especially since most EU members are already part of NATO or closely allied with it. Bond emphasized the importance of American support while also stressing the need for European autonomy and self-reliance. There is uncertainty in Europe about President Joe Biden's future, with concerns that a more isolationist Republican could take office. Bond urged Europe to increase military spending and efficiency to meet real capability needs, stating that these measures are now vital.