ROME, April 25. /TASS/. NATO continues to operate, but its collective spirit has effectively faded, according to Gianandrea Gaiani, military expert and editor-in-chief of the Analisi Difesa portal, speaking to Il Fatto Quotidiano.

"While NATO still functions, as an alliance or bloc, it is dead. Its future hinges on the end of its role as a political instrument, which has lost all influence. Although military exercises persist, the alliance has fallen into a coma since the war in Ukraine. Moreover, with the US and Israeli military operations against Iran, a rift has emerged between the United States and its European allies," Gaiani explained.

He further elaborated that within the alliance, member states are increasingly acting independently. The US proceeds with its plans against Iran, while Baltic nations permit Ukrainian drones to traverse their airspace to strike targets within Russia. "But what if Russia decides to retaliate? NATO will be on edge," he warned.

Gaiani also highlighted that Europe's subservience to the United States began under the previous US President Joe Biden's administration.

"NATO's current predicament is partly due to the complete subordination of its secretaries-general to American interests: Jens Stoltenberg was accountable to the Biden administration, and the current secretary, Mark Rutte, is aligned with [US President] Donald Trump," he noted.