NATO allies have acknowledged the concerns Poland and the Baltic states raised about the Russian threat. Yet there is a sense that some of these nations are now seen as having the clearer answers on how to counter Russia, according to Tony Lawrence of the International Center for Defense and Security in an interview with POP.
NATO’s focus has moved decisively toward the east and north, a shift underscored by Finland joining the alliance and Sweden’s anticipated membership.
That assessment comes from Lawrence, an ICDS analyst, who notes that strengthening the northeastern flank is NATO’s top priority.
At the same time, a PAP interlocutor observes that, from the vantage point of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, changes to bolster this part of the alliance have progressed more slowly and less comprehensively than initially expected.