NATO Admiral Dragone: Alliance fully prepared to defend eastern flank amid Russian threats

NATO's top military official, Admiral Dragone, publicly declared the alliance is fully prepared to defend its eastern flank, citing increased threats from Russia. This is a continuation of NATO's established deterrence posture, but the explicit readiness statement signals a hardening of rhetoric. The claim is a declaratory policy statement, not an operational change, and its significance lies in signaling resolve to both Moscow and allied publics.