Former senior NATO official Jamie Shea, in an exclusive interview with journalist Rosalba Bejdo on A2 CNN’s “Rretheqark”, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not seeking a direct confrontation with the Alliance, but is instead pursuing a strategy of “gray-zone warfare” to test NATO’s resolve.
“The potential for Article 5 to be activated is there. But my feeling is that Putin doesn’t want that — he doesn’t want to fight NATO because he knows the Alliance is militarily superior to Russia,” Shea explained.
According to Shea, Russia prefers to operate below the red line, avoiding open military clashes with NATO while relying on propaganda, covert operations, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns to exert influence.
“Putin will deny responsibility, he’ll test NATO, but he won’t go as far as an open confrontation. He’ll stay in the gray zone, close to the limits of Article 5, but without crossing it,” the former NATO official emphasized.
Shea noted that the key to preventing escalation is ensuring that Russia does not get away with the hybrid warfare it is waging. He also warned that the Balkans remain a fragile region, with growing Russian influence and the increasing militarization of Serbia raising concerns among Western capitals.
“NATO is responding with solidarity and stronger defenses, but the message is clear: any provocation will be met with a measured yet firm response,” Shea concluded.
