Russian President Vladimir Putin may be preparing to put NATO’s collective-defense promise to the ultimate test, with U.S. intelligence reportedly warning that Moscow could launch a limited strike against an alliance member as early as this fall.
The potential confrontation would not necessarily resemble Russia’s massive 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Instead, American officials are reportedly examining scenarios ranging from a disruptive cyberattack to a small-scale military incursion designed to challenge NATO without immediately triggering a full-blown European war.
