ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the challenge from a revisionist Russia, both in Europe and globally, and NATO's response. After the Second World War, Russia has had many opportunities to improve its relations with the West, but several times its actions have led to the opposite effect. Russia’s modernisation and readjustment of its military posture have created serious operational and strategic challenges for NATO forces in case of a contingency. Russia’s military ability and political will to use force and other means to undermine NATO and individual NATO members and partners should be taken seriously. Russia is no longer a mere regional power, as it tries to increase its influence well beyond its periphery. An important explanation to that is the modernisation of the Russian armed forces, which has decreased the technological gap between Western and Russian forces and increased Russia’s ability to conduct military operations globally.
