Every kilometer NATO moves east puts more troops eyeball-to-eyeball with Russian forces. More contact points, more tripwires, more chances one miscalculation triggers Article 5.
Yes. Pushing NATO closer to Russia鈥檚 borders hardens paranoia, raises military friction, and makes one accident or misread move far more dangerous.
Cornering a paranoid, nuclear-armed bear guarantees a fight. Pushing NATO to Russia's doorstep gives Putin the exact excuse he needs to pull the trigger.
NATO creeping right up to Russia's borders is basically poking the bear. It forces Putin to push back hard, raising the odds of direct clash.
