According to experts, three major threats will be looming large at the summit. This would require the alliance’s response. 

NATO leaders will also announce additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, especially Mariupol (embarrassed port city), and a new round of sanctions to increase pressure on Moscow’s oil sector.

As the war nears its second month and Russia’s battle deaths soar past 7,000 with almost nothing to show for them, experts say it’s becoming inevitable that Moscow will try new ways to hit back at Kyiv and its backers — both within Ukraine and beyond its frontiers.

Security experts in Ukraine are worried about the likelihood that Putin might resort to mass destruction weapons as a last resort. The possibility of an even more vicious Russian attack on nuclear reactors in Chornobyl or Zaporizhzhia is also a concern. Last month, soldiers opened fire at the reactor which was apparently offline. 

If Russia had fired on one of the reactors that happened to be online, “that would have caused a nuclear disaster, and we’d basically be looking at trying to evacuate a quarter of Europe — maybe a half of Europe — depending on the wind,” said Scheherazade Rehman, director of the European Union Research Center at George Washington University.

Although international regulators say the plants don’t leak radiation and they are safe, scientists are concerned about the possibility of renewed fighting.

In the last week, the threat of cyber attacks against the United States has grown so much that the White House has taken immediate action to put potential Russian targets on high alert. 

According to officials from the Biden administration, there is a concern that Russia will launch an attack against America’s critical infrastructure. This could be either against an energy provider or utility provider.

It is certain the United States will impose severe costs upon Russia in cyber attacks against infrastructure Americans rely on. However, the NATO alliance wouldn’t respond the exact same way to any Russian cyber attack against an American target that wasn’t military. 

NATO’s founding charter states that a cyberattack against one ally will be considered an attack against all its allies. The charter’s fifth article enshrines the commitment that NATO members collectively will defend any NATO member. This is commonly known as “Article 5”.

Rehman of George Washington University said that the most crucial item NATO should decide on cyber is “where is the line that triggers Article 5 responses, which is all very fuzzy right now.” Who needs to be hurt? We need to hear, “Okay it’s over,” how bad? 

Estonia and smaller countries, for example, may struggle to persuade members to apply Article 5. Rehman made the subtle reference to the Russian cyberattack that took place in 2007 against Estonia. This attack lasted several months, leading to a violent riot.

“But, when Americans shout Article Five’, no one asks that. This is true for any larger economy like Germany and France. Rehman said that if they call it “Article Five”, then it crosses the line. Now, we need to realize that there’s a third issue.

Also, there is a possibility that Russian soldiers might accidentally fire across the border into NATO member states. Poland has been identified as the likely landing point. 

NATO’s number one priority should be “How to handle a misstep?” Rehman, George Washington University.

Rehman said Tuesday that the Russian army was young and inexperienced. He spoke to CNBC about his experience in an interview.

Biden is expected to visit Brussels with NATO allies this week to increase the number of troops deployed to Ukraine. They also plan to talk about whether they will keep them there semi-permanently. 

According to the Defense Department, there are currently around 100,000 American troops in Europe. More than 38,000 are stationed in Germany. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced Biden to move several thousand American troops to NATO’s eastern flank. 

Since the start of the war, the besieged city on Ukraine’s eastern edge has emerged as a symbol to the world of just how much suffering  Putin is willing to inflict upon civilians — and the stoic bravery of average Ukrainians. 

On Wednesday, there were still 100,000 people trapped in the city, without access to food, water, heat or other medical supplies. This was despite constant Russian bombardment. 

This week, there are increasing signs that Europe and America are ready to move further than ever towards an embargo against Russian oil and gasoline. However, Wednesday was not clear what announcements would be made while Biden is visiting Brussels. 

Durlauf of University of Chicago said that while the West is the most critical in terms of sanctions, it is also one of the most difficult. He stated that Russia must be cut off from all energy and oil imports.

In March of this year, the United States banned Russian imports. This decision was made easier because America is an oil producer. The same can be said of few European nations.

The EU’s foreign ministers were at a deadlock over an oil embargo that would have applied to all Russian oil. Germany is reported as leading the group of reluctant countries. 

Biden also meets in Brussels today with EU leaders and G-7 members, who plan to announce additional sanctions against Russian elites. 

“The sanctions have been extraordinarily rapid and extraordinarily powerful, but the next steps have to be taken to continue to put pressure on Russia — be it the elites, be it the regime itself or be it the population,” said Durlauf.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the alliances will announce a new package of individual sanctions for around 400 individuals. It will also include 300 legislators from Russia’s lower house, Duma and Russian elites.

In an authoritarian regime, like this one, it can be difficult to identify where you exert pressure. Durlauf stated that sanctions placed pressure on the entire polity. This has to continue and be augmented,” Durlauf explained to CNBC.