Britain is discussing with NATO allies how to enhance Arctic security against Russia and China. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said Sunday that these talks are routine and not a response to U.S.

Senior European officials and intelligence agencies have issued an unprecedented series of warnings in 2025 about a direct conflict with Russia, though some experts question the reality of the immediate threat.

US President Donald Trump has again claimed that only his actions have pushed other NATO allies to spend more on defence and that, without him, Russia would have seized Ukraine long ago.

Russia could attack a Nato country within the next five years, the Western military alliance's chief has said in a stark new warning. "Russia is already escalating its covert campaign against our societies," Mark Rutte said in a speech in Germany.

Baltic countries like Lithuania have surged defense spending since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russia is intensifying covert attacks on key infrastructure in Germany in a campaign of hybrid warfare that Berlin views as a possible prelude to a wider conflict, according to a military document obtained by Bloomberg.

Russia is likely to be able to pose a significant threat to NATO earlier than predicted in the West, especially if a ceasefire occurs in Ukraine, which would free up Russian forces and allow Russia to rearm and recover.

Trump continued: "RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ZERO FEAR OF NATO WITHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM. EVERYONE IS LUCKY THAT I REBUILT OUR MILITARY IN MY FIRST TERM, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us."