Senior NATO official does not believe Russia will capture all of Donbas by end of 2027

The Ukraine war may be entering a dangerous new phase as an embattled Russia appears to be weighing whether to escalate the conflict with limited strikes or military incursions against European NATO countries such as the Baltic states or Poland – betting that the United States wouldn’t intervene.

NATO leaders are gathering in Ankara for meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to step up defense spending and following months of transatlantic friction over the Iran war and Greenland.