He said that the alliance aims to deter Moscow from aggression and at the same time support Ukraine from the ongoing Russian invasion.
“V. Putin is really already ready for some kind of mini-operation against one of the Baltic countries,” J. Strozykas, who was appointed to head Poland’s military counter-intelligence in March, told the “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” publication.
He added that the Russian leader will be ready to “enter the famous border town of Narva” on the Estonian-Russian border, “or disembark on one of the Swedish islands.”
All-out Russian invasion of Ukraine starting in 2022. in February and extended from 2014 Moscow’s already started war froze the strained relations between Russia and NATO.
This prompted Sweden and Finland to abandon decades of neutrality and join the transatlantic bloc.
J. Strozykas said that the Kremlin’s revanchist goals were somewhat stopped by NATO’s response to the war in Ukraine.
“What the West is doing together to support Ukraine shows him that in the event of an attack on NATO, the Western response would be even greater,” the intelligence chief said.
A large part of Russian military forces, normally stationed on NATO’s borders, was moved to Ukraine, where Moscow’s forces suffered heavy losses for relatively little gain.
But allied leaders have repeatedly warned that Russia intends to rebuild its military to threaten NATO’s borders. This would simultaneously maintain and expand covert and hybrid operations.
Meanwhile, NATO countries are in a hurry to replenish their arsenals. Kyiv’s Western partners are unable to withstand the demands of modern and large-scale warfare. Artillery and air defense resources are reportedly in particular short supply.
Former President Donald Trump may also influence the future of NATO. He in November will compete with President Joe Biden for the White House, has significant influence over his party’s policy toward Russia and Ukraine.
Trump has repeatedly offered Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow in order to secure a peace deal. Ukrainian leaders say the proposal will do little to thwart Putin’s broader imperial ambitions.
Based on information from Newsweek.
