Could NATO Win a War Against China and Russia?

Jordan Kovacsik
9 min readJan 17, 2023
3 Navy SEALs take defensive positions on a beach. The foremost has a M16 with a underbarrel grenade launcher aimed and ready.
United States Navy SEALs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The question of whether NATO could win a war against China and Russia depends on many factors, including the size and capabilities of each country’s military, their respective defensive budgets, and the theatre in which a hypothetical conflict would take place. So let's dive into these variables.

In 2020, China’s military budget was $261 billion, while Russia’s was $65 billion. In comparison, the combined military budgets of all NATO member countries was approximately $900 billion. However, it’s worth noting that the U.S. alone, which is a member of NATO, has a military budget of $740.5 billion.

When it comes to personnel, China and Russia both have much larger populations than NATO countries. China has a population of over 1.4 billion people, while Russia has a population of 144 million. In comparison, the combined population of all NATO member countries is approximately 740 million.

In terms of military capabilities, both China and Russia have advanced weapons systems and well-trained militaries. China is particularly known for its large number of tanks, artillery, and naval vessels, while Russia is known for its advanced air defence systems and long-range missiles. However, NATO member countries, particularly the United States, have advanced technology in areas such as stealth aircraft, precision-guided…

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