Russian Federation Attacks on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a defensive military pact led by the United States, is supplying arms and providing intelligence to Ukraine for defense against the Russian Federation invasion of the former Soviet Republic. It has prudently been careful to avoid a direct confrontation with Russian forces while warning that any attack on a NATO member would be construed as an attack on all and would be responded to. It should not be overlooked that Russia, under ex-Soviet intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, who laments the breakup of the Soviet Union, has engaged in various attacks on NATO members over the last several years, including direct military attack, such as blowing up arms warehouses in the Czech Republic in 2014. Russia has also murdered Russian exiles on NATO soil, including by weapons of mass destruction; committed cyberattacks against NATO member governments and people; and interfered in members’ politics through intimidation, stealing and releasing information, disinformation and illegal campaign financing, among other active measures. NATO would justifiably defend itself against a Russian invasion, and it should avoid any unnecessary direct confrontation with the Russians while continuing to support Ukraine, but Putin uses these other means of warfare to attack, often while denying responsibility or blaming its enemies, or, at most, attributing these attacks to Russian “patriot” acting on their own. Some of these attacks have been punished with sanctions, but Russia generally escapes responsibility. These Russian attacks, which have not been limited to NATO members, prove the need for the alliance, a strengthening of defense and continued opposition to Russian aggression.