Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.novinite.com
NATO’s military capabilities far exceed Russia’s, deterring Moscow from launching a large-scale conventional attack on Europe, Supreme Allied Commander Europe U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich told German magazine Der Spiegel.
In the interview, published today, Grynkewich said the forces NATO could deploy in a major conflict would substantially outmatch Russia’s military. He pointed out that Moscow lacks modern F-35 fighter jets and does not possess a comparable number of advanced destroyers and submarines.
The general said he did not expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch a large-scale attack on Europe using conventional forces. Instead, Putin was resorting to methods such as sabotage because Russia lacked other options and wanted to avoid direct confrontation, Grynkewich said.
He attributed this approach to the deterrent effect of NATO’s conventional military strength, stressing that the Alliance must preserve its advantage by modernizing member states’ armed forces, holding large-scale military exercises and demonstrating its capabilities.
Asked whether Russia’s actions could be described as a “shadow war,” Grynkewich argued that the term “hybrid attacks” was too broad to adequately describe them.
“We must call things by their proper names. Sabotage, arson, or terrorist attacks are accurate terms, which call for clear countermeasures,” he said.
Asked whether Europe was already at war with Russia, Grynkewich said Putin was pursuing a “dangerous game” intended to undermine public support for Ukraine.
“He wants to convince our citizens that supporting Ukraine is dangerous and that it could lead to a war with Russia,” the general said.
Grynkewich added that, fortunately, Putin’s strategy had not been successful so far.
