NATO has initiated its most extensive military exercise since the Cold War, mobilizing approximately 90,000 troops for the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills scheduled to run until May. The massive exercise, involving over 50 ships, 80 fighter jets, helicopters, drones, and more than 1,100 combat vehicles, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, has drawn criticism from Russia, which perceives it as an “irrevocable return” to Cold War tactics.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that NATO’s military maneuvers elevate the risk of unintended military confrontation and undermine European security. Some Chinese experts view the exercise as an attempt by NATO to bolster its military morale amid internal instability and contradictions among its member countries.
Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, highlights NATO’s defensive measures as a response to the perceived lackluster achievements of Ukrainian forces on the battlefield as the Russia-Ukraine conflict approaches its second anniversary. The “war panic” against Russia, fueled by NATO countries, is seen as a strategic move to strengthen military capabilities, with Admiral Rob Bauer warning of the possibility of all-out war with Russia in the next two decades.
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and others have also issued warnings, contributing to the narrative of an imminent threat from Russia. Cui Heng, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies, suggests that some NATO countries benefit economically from the conflict, amplifying the threat for their strategic advantage.
The ongoing military exercise is seen as part of a broader regression to Cold War tactics, with NATO expanding eastward, Sweden and Finland seeking NATO membership, and the alliance’s increasing activities in Asia. Cui emphasizes that NATO’s global operations, extending beyond the North Atlantic, pose challenges to global peace and development.
Some experts argue that it is the US, more than NATO per se, perpetually emphasizing the Russian threat to incite panic among member states, drive military spending, and secure arms deals. The US strategy aims to align European nations, including NATO members, with its interests by inducing economic distress and national decline, serving America’s strategic goals.