Staff Reports
Russia continues to raise tensions in Eastern Europe, with recent military provocations putting NATO on high alert. In the Baltic region, two Russian fighter jets provocatively flew close to a Polish-operated oil platform before skirting dangerously near Estonian airspace. Swedish jets scrambled in response, highlighting the high-stakes game Vladimir Putin is playing with Europe’s security. These actions are not random; they are carefully calculated tactics meant to intimidate NATO allies and test Western resolve. Once again, Moscow is flashing its military power at the West, daring the free world to respond.
General Jack Keane, a retired four-star U.S. Army commander, warned that Putin’s true objective is less about immediate combat and more about psychological warfare. By constantly probing NATO states, Russia seeks to create fear, division, and doubt among European members. The ultimate aim is to distract them from supporting Ukraine and instead force them to focus on defending their own borders. For a man steeped in Soviet-style tactics, Putin knows that weakening Western unity is just as valuable as any battlefield victory.
Meanwhile, fears of escalation remain. While many worry that Russia’s continued incursions could spark a wider conflict, Keane and others believe the Russian dictator still understands the dangers of pushing NATO too far. Direct aggression against the alliance would unleash a military response Moscow cannot handle. This is why firm and immediate military responses to Russian provocations are essential. If NATO wavers or hesitates in the face of these stunts, Putin only grows bolder. Strength and clarity—not appeasement—are the only language the Kremlin respects.
The broader issue remains Europe’s self-inflicted dependence on Russian energy. Former President Donald Trump warned years ago that European nations were recklessly funding Moscow by purchasing its natural gas. While Brussels now claims it will fully phase out Russian LNG by 2027, the damage has already been done. Every euro spent on Russian fuel helps bankroll Putin’s war in Ukraine, undermining the very nations that claim to stand against his aggression. Trump’s warnings, ridiculed at the time, have proven entirely accurate. If Europe had heeded his calls for energy independence earlier, its security posture would be far stronger today.
At the same time, instability continues across the Middle East, where terrorists like Hamas still hold power in Gaza. General Keane has pointed out that dismantling Hamas’s control is the only path to long-term peace and stability in the region. Israel is left to do the difficult work of confronting radical Islamists while Western powers waffle between hollow rhetoric and timid half-measures. Whether in Eastern Europe or the Middle East, the West faces the same lesson: appeasement only emboldens aggressors. If free nations want to preserve liberty and stability, they must stand their ground against bullies, be they in Moscow, Tehran, or Gaza.
