Former NATO Commander: Only one way to avoid real war with Russia
Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
Analysis
Named sources
Context piece
- Former NATO Commander James Stavridis believes there is only one way to avoid a full-scale war with Russia.
- He suggests Russia is testing NATO's defenses and probing for weaknesses.
- Stavridis warns that Russia might resort to hybrid attacks and cyber warfare if its invasion of Ukraine falters.
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, James Stavridis, asserts that there is a singular method to prevent an outright war with Russia. He observes that Russia is actively probing NATO's defensive capabilities and identifying vulnerabilities.
Today, Putin understands that he is losing in Ukraine, facing Kyiv's courage and determination, smart use of drones, and a massive amount of American and European weapons.
Stavridis, who led NATO forces from 2009 to 2013, noted that the alliance previously maintained good cooperation with Russia. However, he stated that Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine revealed President Vladimir Putin's true intentions, which he believes include conquering Ukraine and expanding influence into Europe.
"Today, Putin understands that he is losing in Ukraine, facing Kyiv's courage and determination, smart use of drones, and a massive amount of American and European weapons," Stavridis wrote. He posits that from Moscow's perspective, securing Western support for Ukraine is paramount to altering the war's trajectory. With reduced U.S. aid, Putin might feel emboldened to intimidate or sway European nations.
From Moscow's perspective, securing Western support for Ukraine is paramount to altering the war's trajectory.
Stavridis warns that Putin could employ nuclear threats and hybrid attacks to fracture NATO and achieve his objectives. He likens Putin to a burglar attempting to break into Europe through Ukraine, and if that fails, he will try "windows and the back door." This could involve "accidental" strikes on infrastructure or cyberattacks designed to incite panic, as civilian industrial infrastructure is less protected than military assets. He also suggested the possibility of deploying "little green men" to the Baltic states for sabotage.
The alliance must develop plans for a proportional response. It is especially important that NATO demonstrate cyber capabilities so that Putin realizes his vulnerability and understands that there is no 'easy hit' he can deliver to the US or Europe.
Stavridis urges NATO to take these threats seriously and prepare proportional cyber responses. "The alliance must develop plans for a proportional response. It is especially important that NATO demonstrate cyber capabilities so that Putin realizes his vulnerability and understands that there is no 'easy hit' he can deliver to the US or Europe," he stated. He believes that a direct signal would be implementing NATO's core operational plans for defending the Baltic states, emphasizing that Russia will retreat if met with resolute resistance, but will advance if faced with none.
Russia will retreat if met with resolute resistance. If there is no resistance, it will continue to move forward.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
More Stories
From Our Blog
What Gets Lost (and Found) When News Is Translated
The Critical Role of Diaspora Media in Global News
What Travellers Should Know About Countries with Restricted Press
A Digital Nomad's Guide to Following Local News
How the Same Story Looks Different in Different Countries
