This week, the Trident Juncture 18 military exercise will open and is expected to include the participation of 29 NATO allies, as well as non-members Finland and Sweden.
According to US defence analyst Ivan Eland, the month-long military exercises are designed as a response to various Russian actions that have offended the West.
Mr Eland suggested that the exercises signal the start of harsher US policies towards both China and Russia, similar to the US’s freedom of navigation expeditions in the South China Sea which have aggravated Beijing.
He said: “A new Cold War is possible, especially with Russia, because the US has fewer commercial relations with it than China.”
Former adviser to US Senate Republicans Jim Jatras also said these military exercises are a show for Russia.
He said: “Of course these exercises are meant to send a message to Russia.
“I would put this in the same category as the kinds of provocations we see in the Baltic and Black Sea to challenge the Russians to see if they will come out and meet ships and planes right on their territorial waters.”
The Trident exercises, which will mainly take place in Norway, will commence on Thursday and will involve air, land and sea courses.
There will be 150 aircraft, 65 sea vessels and thousands of military vehicles.
The stated objective is to focus on combat readiness and joint operability of NATO members to carry out a unified response to potential security threats.
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said: “It would be a mischaracterisation to put Trident Juncture in any kind of offensive or destabilising sort of context.”
NATO leaders have also denied provocation.
Admiral Foggo said: “NATO is a defensive Alliance. We’re not looking for a fight, but we are committed to defence and deterrence.
“That’s what this exercise is all about: training to defend and providing a deterrent effect, ready to respond to any threat from any direction at any time.”
Vice Admiral Olsen said the cooperation of over 30 countries “strengthens our common capability to handle a crisis, should it ever come to that”.