A new report by the European Leadership Network details the increase in conflict between Russia NATO who have both conducted recent military exercises and drills war, according to the Washington Post. The increase in military exercises has resulted in a number of near-miss incidents that could have sparked an actual conflict reports the Telegraph. As thse exercises continue to increase, so does the likelihood of actual military conflict between Russia and NATO, reports the Guardian.
The European Leadership Network report urges Russia and NATO to come to some sort of understanding by opening a more comprehensive network of communication. The relationship between Russian and the rest of Western Europe has deteriorated in the wake of the war in Ukraine, according to the report by the European Leadership Network.
The report also detailed the increase in military training on both sides: "...Each side is training with the other side's capabilities and most likely war plans in mind. While spokespeople may maintain that these operations are targeted against hypothetical opponents, the nature and scale of these indicate otherwise: Russia is preparing for a conflict with NATO, and NATO is preparing for a possible confrontation with Russia."
In March, Russia conducted "snap exercises" that involved 80,000 troops. In June, NATO conducted a similar exercise called "Allied Shield" that involved 15,000 allied troops, according to the Telegraph.
Complaints have been launched by both sides as threats and military drills increase, though neither power seems ready to take a step back any time soon.
