A victorious Russia would pose a potent threat to the Baltic states, with their large ethnic Russian populations. Instead of supporting Ukraine, NATO would have to defend itself on its own soil, exposing both the EU and the US to the danger they have been so eager to avoid: direct military confrontation with Russia.
乌克兰的崩溃将是北约的惨重损失，并且间接剧烈影响到欧盟和美国。胜利的俄罗斯将给存在大量俄罗斯族人口的巴尔干国家形成严重威胁。北约不再能够支持乌克兰，反而必须在自己的土壤上自卫，使欧盟和美国都暴露在你它们急切地想要避免的风险之下：与俄罗斯发生直接军事冲突。