June 5, 2026
As Russia and Ukraine press drone war, NATO finds itself caught in crossfire
It was a bit of a “sorry, not sorry” moment, though, as Ukraine’s strikes deep in its occupier’s own territory—hitting critical oil infrastructure and sometimes raising costs for average Russians—are a big success as far as Kyiv is concerned, notes Benjamin Friedman, policy director at the Defense Priorities think tank in Washington.
But given Russia’s reluctance to fire into NATO territory, and the security guarantees that come with NATO membership, Eastern front countries are more protected from Russia than they often acknowledge, Mr. Friedman says.
They might tell Ukraine to “cut it out,” and to use the resources to instead conduct these strikes on the front lines or “more tactically relevant targets,” Mr. Friedman notes. But he adds that Kyiv likely won’t listen, unless the United States or one of the “big countries” like Germany pushes the matter.
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