On October 20, 2021, following the expulsion of several Russian diplomats from the Atlantic Alliance, Russia indefinitely suspended communication channels with the organization, temporarily until early November 2021. Indeed, this latest tension between Russia and the West continues a series of conflicts related to sanctions, reciprocal diplomat expulsions, accusations of electoral interference, espionage, and cyberattacks attributed to Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow reproaches NATO for its ambition to expand into Ukraine and Georgia. Conversely, NATO accuses Russian diplomats of engaging in espionage activities and supporting Russian special operations on European soil.

Thus, with the attempted poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom, informal exchanges between certain national delegations and Russian representatives still present at NATO headquarters, and the freezing of NATO-Russia meetings since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, relations between NATO and Russia have remained tense. This is despite some NATO member states, such as France and Germany, maintaining cooperation with Russia.

For the United States, Russia and China have now allied to form a single threat against American and allied interests in Europe. In response to this threat, it is imperative that NATO continues its countermeasures by further developing its military technology. This American stance or perception clearly marks a break from the time when security cooperation with Russia was essential to creating a shared space of peace, freedom, and security, to the current era of tensions. Nevertheless, despite these historically rooted divergences, the United States and Russia continue to cooperate on global security issues such as Afghanistan, Iran’s nuclear program, and the fight against terrorism and drugs. These matters are generally addressed during meetings between the highest-ranking American and Russian military officials.