Putin is revelling in NATO infighting, warns Estonia’s defence minister

Vladimir Putin is “applauding every argument within NATO”, Estonia’s defence minister has told The i Paper after a year of unprecedented infighting within the alliance.

The NATO military alliance of 32 countries – including the UK – is based on a mutual security pact, under which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. But Donald Trump’s actions in recent months threaten to destroy the alliance. He has openly suggested invading Greenland – the territory of a fellow NATO member – and repeatedly threatened to abandon the alliance altogether over allies’ refusal to join his war in Iran.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia could attack NATO territory within months, saying the ‘most important question’ is whether Europe can rely on the US to come to its aid. He fears that Washington may not treat NATO obligations as seriously as Poland does, undermining Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

Tusk said he wants to believe that Article 5 is still valid, but sometimes has doubts about whether the US would act as a loyal NATO partner in the event of a Russian attack. His concern reflects broader doubts across Europe that Donald Trump may not commit US troops to fight off a Putin assault on Western territory.

The country seen as most jeopardized is Estonia, where around 900 British troops are stationed. Russian forces are speculated to be eyeing Western islands in the Baltic Sea to test NATO’s resolve and the effectiveness of its Article 5 defence guarantee.

NATO’s ability to deter Russia has taken a hit due to transatlantic divisions, with President Vladimir Putin no longer convinced that NATO will retaliate should he expand his war beyond Ukraine.