Newsweek Europe: NATO and Russia 'Preparing For Conflict,' Warns Report

A weekly news magazine Newsweek Europe based on British think tank report emphasized that large-scale military exercises by Russia and NATO may are “warning sign” of a dangerous "action-reaction cycle" that could accidentally elevate the chance of war.

The analysis by Damien Sharkov has been describing the situation of arrival of first company-sized contingent of about 150 U.S. paratroopers from the U.S. Army's 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team based in Italy in the airport in Riga April 24, 2014.

The analysis is based on a policy brief by the European Leadership Network (ELN), a London-based global security think tank, published on Wednesday that warns that NATO and Russia appear to be preparing to go to war with one another.

“The United States is sending about 600 soldiers to Poland and the three Baltic States for infantry exercises, the Pentagon said, one of its highest profile steps yet to reassure NATO allies after Russia's seizure of Crimea” the article noted. According to the British thin tanks, the author of the article highlights that large-scale military exercises by Russia and NATO are part of a dangerous "action-reaction cycle" that could accidentally elevate the chance of war.

"Russia is preparing for a conflict with NATO, and NATO is preparing for a possible confrontation with Russia," the report argues. "Both the NATO and Russian exercises show that each side is training with the other side's capabilities and most likely war plans in mind. Whilst spokespeople may maintain that these operations are targeted against hypothetical opponents, the nature and scale of them indicate otherwise."

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