Dutch Defense Minister Brekelmans: Putin’s ambitions go beyond Ukraine, NATO must be ready
Vladimir Putin’s imperial ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine — he seeks to restore the influence of the former Soviet Union in the Baltic states and other regions.
This was stated by Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in an interview with Ukrinform, as reported by Censor.NET.
"Russia continues to build up its military capabilities: producing more weapons, recruiting more soldiers. And we see this not only as part of its aggression against Ukraine, but also as preparation for a potential conflict beyond Ukraine," Brekelmans noted. In his view, the Kremlin’s actions pose a direct threat to the Baltic states and to NATO as a whole, and therefore the Alliance must strengthen its defense plans to deter Russia.
The minister emphasized that the West must change the dynamics of the war, otherwise, Putin, believing that time is on his side, will continue combat actions, disregarding losses.
At the same time, Brekelmans praised Ukraine’s initiative to pursue a ceasefire and dialogue. However, he noted that Russia shows no such willingness: "I believe Putin will continue the war and refuse to compromise. He doesn’t care if he loses a thousand or more soldiers every day… So we must increase pressure on Russia to weaken its position. And we need to continue supporting Ukraine to strengthen its position. If we succeed in that, I believe Putin will be forced to come to the negotiating table and make concessions."
