What would happen if Russia declared war on Nato?

Response to an attack on UK or other Western allies would be 'overwhelming'

Illustration of Vladimir Putin encircled by Nato country flags
Vladimir Putin has made numerous threats and attempts to 'draw red lines'
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

Western relations with Russia are at their worst since the height of the Cold War. The invasion of Ukraine continues towards the end of its third year and Vladimir Putin has made numerous threats towards Nato allies about direct further escalation.

Despite the Russian president saying "hardly anyone is interested" in being "one step away from a full-scale World War Three" if Russia goes into direct conflict with Nato, the Western allies are preparing for the worst-case scenario.

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Richard Windsor is a freelance writer for The Week Digital. He began his journalism career writing about politics and sport while studying at the University of Southampton. He then worked across various football publications before specialising in cycling for almost nine years, covering major races including the Tour de France and interviewing some of the sport’s top riders. He led Cycling Weekly’s digital platforms as editor for seven of those years, helping to transform the publication into the UK’s largest cycling website. He now works as a freelance writer, editor and consultant.