Putin says Western countries are openly preparing for a potential conflict with Russia and increasing military spending.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that a direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia could quickly spiral into a nuclear conflict with catastrophic consequences.

The US announces a review of American forces in Europe amid a rift with NATO’s European allies over spending.

A survey suggests that only one in 10 Europeans see the United States as an ally.

France and Germany have scrapped their joint sixth-generation fighter jet project, dealing a major blow to European defense integration amid uncertainty over US support for NATO.

The United States is expected to scrap a plan to deploy Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, a reversal driven by fear of Russian retaliation and a weapons stockpile drained by the US-Israeli aggression on Iran.

United States is reportedly planning to speed up its troop withdrawal from Europe following the rift with European leaders over Iran.