Skip to content

Taylor Quoted in La Presse Article on a Clash Between NATO and Russia

February 10, 2024

La Presse

Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor


As the conflict in Ukraine remains bogged down, leaders in several European countries are stepping up warnings about the possibility of a head-on clash between NATO and Russia in the near future.

And the rhetoric of these leaders echoes the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who insists in support of his requests for military and economic aid, that Moscow will pursue its expansionist projects in the event of a victory against Kyiv.

Brian Taylor, professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, notes that the scenario of a Russian attack on a NATO country seems "fanciful" since such an initiative would theoretically lead to a collective military response from the other members of the transatlantic organization.

The political deadlock in the United States, where Republicans and Democrats are unable to agree on crucial new military aid for the Ukrainian army, is working in Moscow's favor, which has regained the initiative.

"He [Putin] could get drunk on his success, conclude that the West is just a paper tiger and decide to push further to see what happens," says Taylor.

Read more in the La Presse article, "NATO countries are already imagining themselves at war with Moscow."


Communications and Media Relations Office
200 Eggers Hall