Raimonds Bricis

MY TAKE ON NATO. Many are talking about NATO these days - and for good reason. The air is thick with speculation. Some declare NATO “dead” in search of attention. Others speak about “sovereign autonomy” within the Alliance. Some use NATO as a prop in short-term domestic political games. The truth is that the world has never stood still. In an age of tectonic change, NATO must inevitably adapt to new realities. But another fact is equally clear: for years now, the authoritarian world has been trying to bend the international order - built by liberal democracies - to its own will. That effort has brought us to the brink of a major global conflict. Russia’s strategic objective is the destruction of NATO, clearing the path for dominance in Europe. Its aim is to divide Europe internally and to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States. China - seeking its greatest geopolitical victory - quietly supports this effort. Beijing has promised Moscow “no-limits” cooperation in shaping a new world order. In such circumstances, those who understand NATO’s purpose and value must keep a cool head. For 77 years, the North Atlantic Alliance has protected peace and stability in the free world as no other multilateral security arrangement has managed to do. To dismantle it ourselves - or to question its collective defense commitment -would amount to surrender in the shadow war authoritarian regimes are waging against us. The consequences would bring the world dangerously close to systemic collapse. Those who constantly warn of a Russian attack on NATO should focus on how to prevent it. The first step is to stop the internal fragmentation of the Alliance. If we have declared that we will stand behind every ally when help is needed, then we must mean it - especially at a time when a long-running shadow war seeks to destroy NATO from within. The future of the Alliance depends on us. We must ask ourselves today: ☑️ Do we recognize that we are under attack? ☑️ Will our adversaries succeed in dividing us through interference in our domestic politics? ☑️ Do we understand that the disappearance of NATO - the most effective strategic deterrent ever created - would pose an existential threat to many free nations? ‼️ But we must also ask whether we are prepared not only to withstand that attack, but to turn it into our victory. Europeans and Americans alike must recognize today that Russia and Iran represent two fronts in the same broader confrontation. Victory on one front will inevitably influence the other. For NATO’s future, the most critical task is to defeat Russia’s aggression and to achieve a clear victory in the shadow war being waged against the Alliance. The stakes are nothing less than the future of the North Atlantic Alliance - and with it the future of the free world and the rules-based international order built on law and universal values. Our guiding principle must be simple: WE WIN. THEY LOSE. 🇦🇱 🇧🇪 🇧🇬 🇨🇦 🇭🇷 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 🇪🇪 🇫🇮 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇬🇷 🇭🇺 🇮🇸 🇮🇹 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 🇱🇺 🇲🇪 🇳🇱 🇲🇰 🇳🇴 🇵🇱 🇵🇹 🇷🇴 🇸🇰 🇸🇮 🇪🇸 🇸🇪 🇹🇷 🇬🇧 🇺🇸