Russia–NATO Tensions

NATO leaders warned that a resurgent Vladimir Putin is "in the empire‑building business again" and could set its sights on alliance members, with Dutch PM Mark Rutte saying "We are Russia's next target. And we are already in harm's way." They urged an urgent defense buildup — NATO members committed in June to raise spending toward 5% of GDP by 2035 — while Poland's PM Donald Tusk said an investigation found Russian secret services commissioned a railway blast on the Warsaw–Lublin line and recruited two Ukrainians.