Russia is reportedly seeking to install “their man in the White House” as part of a strategy to weaken NATO amidst concerns of a potential World War 3.
The Kremlin is said to be cultivating various methods to strike at Europe, from supporting pro-Russian motorcycle gangs to deploying GPS jamming techniques.
With the conflict in Ukraine reviving large-scale warfare on the European continent for the first time since World War 2, questions are being raised about NATO’s vulnerabilities.
Keir Giles, an author and researcher with expertise on Russia, analysed Moscow’s potential strategies against NATO as he noted the re-election of Donald Trump would significantly benefit Russia‘s efforts in Ukraine.
Giles levelled significant criticism at Trump and his continuous support for Russia. European leaders have also called out Trump for his “anti-Ukrainian sentiment” and “pro-Russian attitude,” which includes delaying the bill providing military aid to Ukraine as it passed through Congress.
There have been suggestions that Trump might be working on behalf of Russia, although the former president has refuted these claims.
In his analysis, Giles stated: “Russia doesn’t have to strike the US. They already have. If they get their man reelected in November they don’t need to strike the US because he’ll be working very hard on their behalf from inside the White House.
“And the very last thing Russia wants is an open confrontation with a much more powerful adversary. Which is what you’d get if there was a direct and overt strike on the US. As opposed to deniable political warfare which is what we have seen until now.”
Further elaborating, he told The Mirror: “The key strength of NATO as it always has been, is its key weakness as well. That is the requirement for unity and the ease with which an individual ally could torpedo a collective response.
“What people are worried about is that could be the US, the lynchpin of NATO and the military capability that underpins everything. If Russia wins the U.S. presidential election, then Russia wins the war in Ukraine and all kinds of options are open.”
Giles issued a stern warning that Trump’s reelection could render NATO “pointless”. He explained: “The U.S. doesn’t need to pull out of NATO for Trump to neutralise the whole point of the alliance.
“Because all that a national leader has to do is tell his troops not to show up and that’s it. NATO becomes pointless. It doesn’t require a formal withdrawal from NATO just a failure to cooperate is sufficient to hand Russia a win. It could be the U.S. or any other country in a similar position.”
NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, comprises 32 member states, including 30 from Europe and two from North America. It operates on a principle of collective defence, whereby its members pledge mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.