As Russia’s hybrid operations intensify across Europe, NATO faces growing pressure to move beyond deterrence and toward a more offensive posture. From airspace violations to shadow fleet operations in the Baltic Sea, Moscow has been testing the Alliance’s red lines and exploiting ambiguity to undermine Western resolve.
On today’s episode, Dr. Balkan Devlen joins us to discuss the implications of Russia’s escalating hybrid aggression, what it reveals about Moscow’s long-term strategy, and how NATO must adapt its response. The conversation explores the evolving nature of the Alliance’s rules of engagement, options for deterrence backed by credible force, and the broader strategic shift required to make further aggression prohibitively costly for the Kremlin.
The episode also examines the potential of measures such as disrupting Russia’s hydrocarbon exports, restricting shadow fleet access to European markets, and countering the grey-zone tools of Russian state power. Finally, Dr. Devlen outlines the domestic and collective commitments NATO members must embrace to ensure the Alliance remains both proactive and united in preventing further escalation.
