Lavrov said that Bauer had "bluntly stated" that "to achieve the goals of protecting and defending the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, it is necessary to preemptively strike at those targets in the Russian Federation that, in NATO's opinion, could pose a threat," according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Statements from top NATO commanders about the possibility of launching preventive strikes against Russia suggest a potential shift in the alliance's defense strategy. And, under certain conditions, the bloc may indeed consider such a move,