There are no signs that Russia is gearing up for an attack on NATO, the head of the bloc’s Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, has said.
Speaking to reporters in Riga on Friday, Bauer, who commanded the Dutch armed forces between 2017 and 2021, said that “there is no indication that Russia is planning to attack any NATO member state.”
While stressing that he did not think “there is a direct threat,” he suggested that “Russia’s ambitions go beyond Ukraine.” Bauer said that meant that the US-led military bloc should be better prepared for a possible stand-off.
He also weighed in on the upcoming US election in November, which is almost certain to be a re-match between former US President Donald Trump and incumbent Joe Biden. The admiral said that he was not afraid of a Trump victory, explaining that the republican’s controversial statements about NATO were directed not at the bloc itself, but rather at the fact that some members need to ramp up defense spending.