title: Facing increased Russian aggressiveness: Popular militias, a potentially effective extra political and military instrument aimed at strategic deterrence
abstract: &lt;i&gt;The text starts by briefly exploring the present strategic situation on NATO’s Eastern rim. In a situation clearly dominated by sharply increased Russian aggressiveness, and by the fact that Russia has already made several attempts directly aimed at shaping, by force, a new regional and continental balance of power (see war against Georgia, in 2008, the annexation of Crimea, in 2014, and an extensive set of military actions against Ukraine), Russian plans and actions are legitimately wo
journal: Security and Defence Quarterly