BS. What offensive threat does NATO pose to Russia?
So since you started off your response by calling me a BS artist. I want you to know I was just trying to have a discussion!
Historically Russia rationally and now irrationally have always viewed outsiders as a potential threat. “Germans/Latins” from the west, Chinese (other easterners Mongols, Japanese, etc.) from the east. It makes little sense now (except perhaps the Chinese & Moslems!) but its in their psyche. They have always had an inferiority complex toward the West & a abject fear of the East. During the communist days it was useful to magnify it to keep their people in line. Now it makes little sense but its there. By dividing NATO into an Atlantic alliance in which we are a member and a Central European-Baltic in which we are not - maybe with “interested observer” status. The “Western Threat (the USA, etc.)” is more diffuse. Its now indirect and can be argued by us & “the Atlantic Alliance” the Central-Baltic Alliance “ is not our front yard! We’re cordial neighbors!”.
Anyway it won’t happen The Central Alliance will have to be nuclear capable in order to be credible.
Zero/Nada/Zilch/нуль!