EXPLAINER: Could Russia Attack NATO by 2030?

EXPLAINER: Could Russia Attack NATO by 2030?

September 8, 2026 · 8 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the potential for Russia to test NATO by 2030 and the implications for European defense.

Across Nato’s eastern flank, defence planners are increasingly focused on one date: 2030. War games, military assessments and troop deployments are being shaped around a stark question – could Moscow be ready to test Nato within the next few years? The Times’s defence editor Larisa Brown examines why 2030 has become such a crucial deadline for European defence, how Russia could try to probe Nato’s borders and whether the alliance is moving fast enough to deter Vladimir Putin. Get in touch: generalandjournalist@thetimes.co.uk Producer: Jack Feeney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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