According to a report by Russia's RT on October 24, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview that NATO would only shoot down Russian aircraft if they were deemed a threat.

This statement was in response to the incident three days earlier when three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets briefly entered Estonian airspace.

Previously, Poland and Sweden had made tough statements, saying that if such violations continued, they would directly shoot down Russian planes, prompting Moscow to issue a severe warning that it would mean war.

Facing Russia's strong stance, Stoltenberg's tone softened significantly. He said, "There have been some misunderstandings in recent weeks." If such incidents occur again and pose a threat, they will shoot down the planes, but if not, they will gently guide them out of the area.

It can be seen that Stoltenberg is backing down completely, even adding the adjective "gently" when talking about guiding them, as if afraid of misunderstanding by Russia.

MiG-31

From Stoltenberg's behavior, it can be seen that NATO has become a mouthpiece alliance.

He proactively explained the Russian aircraft's intrusion, saying it was a misunderstanding, not intentional. This is not the first time he has tried to ease the situation; previously, he also said this reflected poor training of Russian pilots, as if the Russian planes flying right in their faces should be grateful instead.

In the past, NATO at least verbally emphasized things like inviolability, but now it has turned into one-sided restraint.

This is a typical case of backing down, just trying to do so in a more dignified way.

One can imagine that if Russia ever actually goes to war with a NATO small country, NATO will still further retreat, making fake tough statements instead of activating Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

Jens Stoltenberg

The reason NATO is unwilling to fight Russia is simple: no one wants to sacrifice for a small country like Estonia.

NATO is superficially a military alliance, but fundamentally a political community. Each country must calculate its political costs.

America does not want to risk direct conflict with Russia. Germany and France, who are always shouting at Russia, will remain silent if actual fighting happens. Small countries are even worse, only boasting with words, aiming to attract the attention of major powers to seek protection, rather than being able to do anything to Russia.

Additionally, NATO's command system itself is slow. Any military action requires the agreement of dozens of member states.

When the time comes for war, the procedures will move slower than missiles.

Plus, Russia has nuclear weapons and determination, while NATO only has unclear budgets and concerns.

Looking at the Ukraine battlefield clearly shows this: NATO provides money and weapons, but not people.

They say they support until the end, but it's just words.

NATO flag and Russian flag

It can be said that the West has entered a delusion of the post-war era.

Their security concept remains stuck in the Cold War, having long lost real war preparedness.

NATO has not fought a war of equal scale for decades, only wars against small countries like Iraq, Libya, and Yugoslavia.

The so-called victories have fostered a sick sense of confidence. When facing a determined opponent, they back down, even thinking about the fate of the small countries they once oppressed, rather than believing they can win against a major power.

Therefore, there is no need for Russia to explain anything; NATO starts blaming misunderstandings, which is a typical form of self-anesthesia.

An alliance that dares not even name its enemies is close to collapse.

This also reflects another ridiculous aspect of NATO: constantly expanding eastward, squeezing Russia's living space. After multiple expansions, it has not increased Europe's sense of security, but instead, due to angering Russia, made themselves more fearful.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565012064185188907/

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