Which is stupid. "An attack on one is an attack on all" works both ways.
There's nothing that says Russia has to wait for the rest of NATO to declare war or mobilize against it if it gets into a border skirmish with Finland, or Poland, or Latvia, or... They have ample justification to immediately glass DC and London at the first sign of hostilities as NATO's slogon means in for a penny, in for a pound. Nobody wins in a nuclear war, so setting up a tripwire to start one is like shooting yourself in the foot.
One would think that the US and other Western European powers wouldn't want to put so much risk of another world war in the hands of a bunch of bum-fuck Eastern European countries. Unless they plan on reneging on the pact (which is absolutely something the US would do if it suits them). The problem is that Russia has no way of knowing when they will follow through and when they won't.
The point of their inclusion isn't their military contribution but their potential function as a casus belli under the NATO agreement.
Which is stupid. "An attack on one is an attack on all" works both ways.
There's nothing that says Russia has to wait for the rest of NATO to declare war or mobilize against it if it gets into a border skirmish with Finland, or Poland, or Latvia, or... They have ample justification to immediately glass DC and London at the first sign of hostilities as NATO's slogon means in for a penny, in for a pound. Nobody wins in a nuclear war, so setting up a tripwire to start one is like shooting yourself in the foot.
One would think that the US and other Western European powers wouldn't want to put so much risk of another world war in the hands of a bunch of bum-fuck Eastern European countries. Unless they plan on reneging on the pact (which is absolutely something the US would do if it suits them). The problem is that Russia has no way of knowing when they will follow through and when they won't.
You underestimate the hubris of european so-called "leaders". And I don't mean the politicians.
They have no problem throwing a billion people to the wolves.
As far as I can tell, this is literally the plan.