At the Hague NATO Seeks WAR, not Peace w/RUSSIA Lt Col Daniel Davis

Daniel Davis Deep Dive Merch: Etsy store

At the recent NATO summit, leaders—including President Trump—shifted focus from Ukraine’s future membership to a more aggressive posture aimed at Russia, with little to no mention of diplomacy. Previously, NATO declared Ukraine's membership inevitable, which was already a major trigger for Russia. Now, the tone has intensified: NATO is preparing not just for deterrence, but seemingly for direct conflict with Russia, doubling defense spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP.

President Trump appeared to endorse this new direction enthusiastically, despite previously portraying himself as a "peace president." Western leaders praised him heavily—possibly to gain his buy-in—while quietly extending the timeline for hitting the 5% spending goal beyond his potential term.

Critics argue this strategy escalates tensions unnecessarily, eliminates any chance of diplomacy, and risks locking the West into a self-inflicted, unending confrontation. Notably absent from the summit discussions were efforts at de-escalation or dialogue with Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia has taken note of NATO’s stance and rhetoric. Leaders like Putin and Lavrov are responding by increasing their own military readiness and production, interpreting the summit as confirmation that peaceful relations with the West are no longer possible. The situation is seen by critics as a dangerous spiral of mutual escalation with no offramp.