Then US National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks to reporters at the White House on May 1, 2019. (Photo by Reuters)

John Bolton, the former US national security adviser (NSA) and a foreign policy hawk, says it’s the time for NATO to stand up to Russia amid growing tensions between Moscow and the military alliance.

In an article published on Tuesday, the controversy-prone senior Trump administration official listed out misjudgments made by the West regarding Russia and what he called Kremlin’s hegemonic agenda.

Bolton said the West has made two fundamental mistakes in the years since Russia’s new flag was first raised over the Kremlin.

In an understandable rush to add to NATO states escaping the defunct Warsaw Pact and resuming their rightful places in the West, America, in particular, failed to delineate where the expansion would end, the former Trump aide wrote, adding that the West created a grey zone, which is now being exploited by Russia.

He went on to fire a salvo at the European Union (EU), which he said believes that the relative post-1945 peace in the region was due to the bloc rather than the NATO alliance.

Now is the time for NATO to stand up to Russia. It’s history’s strongest defensive alliance and neither the USSR nor Russia dared confront it directly. This is no time to fear putting NATO front and center. More analysis here: https://t.co/ffXvyyUjat

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) December 28, 2021

Bolton also blasted what he called NATO’s inadequate end-state planning and EU delusions, which according to him have hindered developing a coherent strategy against a resurgent Russia.

Commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand for security guarantees from NATO in the wake of tensions over Ukraine, the hawkish former top US security official said Moscow wants an agreement to not admit Ukraine or other non-members into the alliance; not deploy offensive weapons in countries (NATO members or not) adjacent to Russia; and not conduct military exercises near Russia’s borders above brigade levels.

He said Putin was outmaneuvering his Western counterparts, while adding that China has endorsed Russia’s demand.

He further opined that the NATO should decide about what countries it is ready to admit or snub, while at the same time urging the EU to get serious about the renewed threat from Russia.

Bolton also suggested that Nord Stream 2 project must be cancelled, and additional allied weapons and troops should be surged into Ukraine not to engage in combat, but so Russian generals can contemplate the karma of being ordered to invade Ukraine in close proximity to new NATO deployments.

Tensions between Russia and the US have heightened recently with Western media outlets reporting that Russia is amassing troops near the Ukraine border with the aim of military invasion of the country.

Russia denies the allegations, saying it is free to move its troops within its own borders and that its military buildup is in response to increased NATO activity in the volatile region.

On Tuesday, reports said Russian officials have agreed to sit down with American officials next month to discuss Ukraine among other contentious issues.

The United States looks forward to engaging with Russia for a Strategic Security Dialogue on Ukraine on January 10, a US National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson also said that NATO is planning to hold a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on January 12. A NATO official confirmed the meeting.

President Biden’s approach on Ukraine has been clear and consistent: Unite the alliance behind two tracks: deterrence and diplomacy. We are unified as an Alliance on the consequences Russia would face if it moves on Ukraine. But we are also unified in our willingness to engage in principled diplomacy with Russia, the NSC spokesperson said.