Russia may not seek a direct military conflict with the US and NATO, but the potential for it exists.

This is stated in the report on global threats to US national security.

The document notes that Russian leaders have so far avoided actions that would spread the war in Ukraine beyond its borders, "but the risk of escalation remains significant."

American intelligence data indicates the existence of a real potential for

to harm President Vladimir Putin's domestic position.

This may provoke additional escalation actions on the part of the Russian Federation in an effort to regain public support.

"Increased claims that the United States is using Ukraine as a proxy to weaken Russia, and that Ukraine's military successes are only the result of US and NATO intervention,

," the US intelligence agency said.

They added that Russian officials have long believed that the United States is trying to undermine their state, weaken Putin, and establish regimes friendly to the West in former Soviet Union states and other countries.

If Russia wishes, this gives it the opportunity to escalate or expand the war.

We will recall that in February, Bloomberg reported that NATO member countries are developing secret instructions in the event of the Alliance participating in a conflict, when the allies will have to defend each other under Article 5. The essence of the article is that an attack on one of the NATO countries is considered an attack on all countries of the Alliance.

Subsequently, the Organization's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO should be ready for a long confrontation with Russia "after the immediate crisis provoked by President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine."

And at the end of February, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said that the Alliance should be prepared for the fact that Russia will try to invade the Baltic states.

Read also:

• NATO has recognized that a return to normal relations with Russia is impossible

• The budget of the US Ministry of Defense for the next year will be a record amount for the purchase of weapons - Bloomberg

• Russia has already begun to fall apart: Kadyrov is preparing for war - Piontkovsky

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