Expert: Russia testing NATO's limits with hybrid attacks across Europe
Political scientist Carlo Masala warns in a podcast that Russia is deliberately probing NATO's Article 5 threshold through sabotage across Europe, aiming to spread panic and erode support for Ukraine. He also discusses how the 2027 European 'super election year' and a possible Trump return could affect Kyiv.
Carlo Masala, professor of international politics at the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich, warned on the POLITICO podcast "Berlin Playbook" that Russia has recently intensified hybrid warfare operations across Europe, including a drone attack involving explosives targeting a Ukrainian cargo plane in Leipzig, explosions at munitions factories, and sabotage at sea.
Speaking with POLITICO's Gordon Repinski, Masala said these actions are designed to spread panic among European populations and undermine Western support for Ukraine. He argued that the Kremlin is deliberately testing where NATO's red lines lie, probing how far it can go without triggering the alliance's collective defense clause.
What happens if an attack succeeds
The conversation explores a scenario in which such an attack actually succeeds on German soil and triggers NATO's mutual defense mechanism. Masala also addresses why President Vladimir Putin appears to be taking greater risks at this particular moment.
Merz's role and pressure on Kyiv
According to Masala, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seen in domestic political debate as a crucial safeguard for continued aid to Ukraine. A collapse of that support, he warned, would carry serious financial and military consequences for the entire continent. At the same time, pressure on Kyiv is mounting — the episode discusses how a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House could force Ukraine into painful concessions.
Masala further noted that 2027 will bring a wave of major elections across Europe, a "super election year" that could give Moscow an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the continent's political landscape in its favor.
