In the two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion, allied dignitaries visiting Ukraine have been harried by strikes — and in one case, a drone — in the cities they've visited. "Definitely, I think Russia has been trying to be quite aggressive and intimidate Western leaders," he told Business Insider. President Joe Biden with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an unannounced visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 20, 2023. NATO's principle of collective defense — Article 5 — doesn't apply to armed attacks in this scenario as they would not be in NATO space, Loss told BI. Russia is 'greasing' a slippery slopeRussia is testing NATO's attitude to risk, Loss told BI, and the incidents involving leaders visiting Ukraine can be read as part of a much wider strategy of provocations.

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