US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be increasingly willing to authorise provocative actions that could spill onto NATO territory.

CBS, citing US officials briefed on the matter, reported that these actions could include hybrid operations, cyberattacks, and other deniable measures that fall short of a full-scale conventional military campaign. 

The assessments highlight a shift in Putin’s risk calculus compared to just a few months ago, according to US officials.

These officials noted that the primary goal is likely not to trigger a broader war, but rather to test NATO’s cohesion and evaluate the Trump administration’s willingness to respond if a NATO ally comes under attack, CBS reported.

Earlier last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western countries of applying “double standards” by selectively invoking the UN Charter while ignoring the principle of national “self-determination” when it did not suit their interests.

Claiming that Western sanctions had failed to achieve their objectives, Putin said that since 2022, “the West has set its Russophobic machine running at full speed,” imposing a record number of sanctions that he described as ineffective. — ANI