Russian cyberattacks and activities on the territory of NATO member states are testing the alliance's resolve. But there are three strategic goals behind these attempts. Forbes Ukraine retells the main points from The Economist
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Drones over Poland, MiGs in the skies of Estonia, damaged cables in the Baltic Sea and cyberattacks on airports. All these actions individually are not a reason for war, but together they form a dangerous strategy for Russia. The President of the aggressor state Vladimir Putin is waging a “gray” campaign against NATO – cheap, denied and carefully dosed to destabilize Europe without open conflict, writes The Economist.
Putin is not only interested in doing harm. He pursues three strategic goals.
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Putin’s first goal is to weaken NATO unity. The hybrid warfare campaign is intended to make Europeans doubt each other and, most importantly, their loyalty to the United States.
If the reliability more than twice as large.
The more the West is divided and demoralized, the stronger Russia appears – regardless of its actual economic or political performance.
One of Putin's goals remains to make Europeans doubt each other and the US's loyalty. Photo: Getty Images
Countering Putin
Ukraine's allies need to publicly and promptly expose every attack and sabotage with evidence. Ignoring “small” cases or waiting silently allows the “gray zone” of hybrid warfare to expand.
Therefore, cyberattacks, infrastructure sabotage, or election interference must be documented immediately to deny Russia any chance of denying them. This will show Western voters that they are the target of a disinformation campaign.
NATO and the EU must also increase their resilience.
Defense in the “gray zone” includes cable and pipeline repair crews, cyber-response teams, and strengthened election commissions. It also requires the use of economic and cyber countermeasures, from sanctions against pipeline companies to mobile interceptors to destroy drones.
The Kremlin's opposition could manifest itself in using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's defense, writes The Economist. Photo: Getty Images
It is time to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s defense, which is also Europe’s defense, writes The Economist. And yes, that defense could mean shooting down a military plane that poses a threat to life.
Refusing to take decisive action under the pretext of “escalation” will only encourage further Russian action. All this is difficult to do even with a reliable American guarantee. And even more difficult when US President Donald Trump presents himself as an unreliable member of the alliance, The Economist concludes.
