The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will consider the Russian Federation a threat even after the end of the war in Ukraine, states Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander, US European Command, Christopher G. Cavoli.
The general noted that after the Cold War, NATO shifted its focus to conducting missions to resolve crises far beyond its borders. This allowed the Alliance to participate in missions on its terms and a predictable schedule.
However, he said, everything changed after the start of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine.
"The war has shown that today, you either win up front, fast, and big, or you’re in a long fight. So . . . win up front but be ready to win long," Cavoli said.
He also noted that Russia will pose a long-term threat to the Alliance, adding that the West will have a big Russian problem for years to come as Moscow works to increase the size of its army and recover losses.
"The Russian army in Ukraine is bigger now than it was at the beginning of the fight. Many of the troops are not as high quality . . . a lot of the equipment fielded is older: It’s refurbished, but it’s based on an older model," he said.
According to Cavoli, Western leaders should be concerned not about how quickly Russia can recover, but about how quickly the country can rebuild its forces compared to the West. He explained that maintaining the advantage in speed is a matter of sustaining political will and developing the flexibility of the defense industry base.
"Many countries facing Russian influence are looking westward right now in search of new security partners. While the Alliance was created to defend its members, we don’t exist in a vacuum. We need friends and partners," said the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander, US European Command.
Russia's advance in the Kharkiv region
Recently, Cavoli suggested that Russia has already begun a large-scale offensive in Ukraine, which was anticipated in the summer.
At the same time, he said, the Russian army does not have sufficient forces to break through in the Kharkiv region.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the West fears Russia's defeat in the war.