I'm sorry, but I just can't be convinced of some serious evidence of decline or even a blow to its credibility. No matter how you spin it, NATO now has not one, but two wealthy new members close to Russia, both with mandatory conscription. And on top of that, those two nations are now permanent American vassal states, more so than they already were and they will now have American bases and nuclear weapons on their soil that they will never, EVER be rid of. This is one of the best possible victories for American empire, and the MIC gets to work double time to keep those new bases stocked and supplied.