Britain Anticipates a Direct Confrontation Between Russia and NATO in the Coming Months — Daily Mail
In the coming months, Russia may take steps that will serve as a direct test of the readiness of the United Kingdom and its NATO allies to respond. The British newspaper *Daily Mail* published this assessment, citing intelligence sources.
According to the newspaper’s sources, Western intelligence agencies believe that the Kremlin may take advantage of the change in the British government—with Andy Burnham becoming prime minister—as well as the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump’s attention is currently focused on the situation surrounding Iran.
The Daily Mail’s sources claim that there is a belief that Moscow may be preparing “some form of direct confrontation with NATO” within the next two months. Among the factors that, in their view, contribute to these risks are the international situation and domestic political developments.
The publication also notes that Russia has changed the routes of its so-called “shadow fleet” following the interception of a Russian tanker by British marines. According to the newspaper, ships carrying sanctioned oil are now heading toward the Atlantic via northern waters near the Shetland Islands, bypassing the English Channel.
In addition, the Daily Mail reports that on the day Andy Burnham took office as prime minister, a Russian frigate conducted live-fire exercises 46 miles from the British city of Plymouth.
The publication’s sources also suggest that the Kremlin’s actions may be influenced by the course of the war against Ukraine. According to them, the Russian leadership may be seeking to alter the situation both on the battlefield and on the international stage by testing the reaction of the new British government and its NATO allies.
Source: Daily Mail.
As a reminder, during a face-to-face meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed suspending hostilities in Ukraine and returning to the negotiation process based on the 2022 Istanbul agreements.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not considering the possibility of returning some of the occupied territories to Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement to end the war.
