It’s not that long ago that NATO was near it’s end in fact, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/3/macron-stands-by-nato-brain-death-comment-in-clash-with-trump

Had Russia waited another decade or two, and it’s conceivable that NATO would have been retired.

But no, they had to go and bring it back from it’s deathbed: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/7/11/offensive-defence-how-putin-saved-nato https://warroom.armywarcollege.edu/articles/ukraine-revived-nato/

Talk about unintended consequences.