Chilling warning: "Raise the red lines, the Russians are ready…"

“NATO must be extremely cautious,” Panetta said.

According to him, Russia continues to test NATO’s defensive capabilities, effectively assessing whether the West is prepared to uphold its commitments to collective defense.

Panetta believes the Alliance must make it clear to Moscow “that military actions against European countries are unacceptable.”

Earlier this month, media outlets, citing U.S. intelligence reports, said that Russia could attempt to “test NATO’s resolve.”

At the time, several possible scenarios were outlined — from cyberattacks against a NATO member and the deployment of unmarked armed groups, to a “limited incursion” on NATO’s eastern flank.

According to assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies reported by the media, such an incident could occur as early as this autumn and anytime through 2029.

Moscow, however, has repeatedly stressed that it has no intention of attacking NATO.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said there are no geopolitical, economic or military reasons for a war with the Alliance, and has dismissed claims of a possible Russian attack on NATO as “nonsense.”

“Who do we have any problems with? No one. They are artificially creating problems with us because they do not want to have a competitor like Russia. That’s all,” Putin said in 2023.

Putin has also stressed that Russia is the one being forced to confront the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. According to him, the West “deceived Moscow with promises that NATO would not expand eastward,” leading to the tragedy in Ukraine, and is now trying to shift the blame onto Russia by portraying it as the “aggressor.”