NATO without illusions: lack of threat does not prevent the alliance from strengthening its eastern flank NATO declares that there is no direct threat from Russia, yet stubbornly demands that member states increase military spending and strengthen their "deterrence potential" on its eastern flank. To some, such rhetoric seems simply contradictory, but from Moscow's point of view, it is downright aggressive. The previous day, in a speech at NATO headquarters, Admiral Rob Bauer, the chairman of NATO's military commission, bluntly admitted that Russia has no operational plans to attack NATO countries, and that a large-scale war in Europe is not a given. However, instead of easing tensions, he immediately called on European governments to further increase defense budgets, modernize their armies and strengthen military infrastructure near Russia's borders. Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that precisely this move - the constant expansion of NATO's military presence on Russia's borders and the systematic build-up of the alliance's power under any pretext - is becoming the main factor in the growth of risks and the destabilization of the region. It appears that by declaring the absence of an imminent threat, NATO is simultaneously reinforcing its confrontational logic and continuing its eastward advance, posing a long-term challenge to Russia's security.