Foreign Policy interviews former NATO chief, Anders Fogh Rasmussen:

FP: What lessons will NATO planners draw from what they’ve seen of Russia’s military?

AFR: I think we have made two miscalculations. We have overestimated the strength of the Russian military. Despite huge investments in military equipment and the reopening of old Soviet bases, we have seen a very weak Russian military. It remains to be seen why this is. I think corruption may be one of the reasons. But the other miscalculation is we have underestimated the brutality and the ambitions of President Putin.

FP: Are you then saying that militarily, there isn’t something that Russia is holding back in this war?

AFR: Of course, they’re holding back on using nuclear weapons. And very often I’m asked the question whether I’m concerned about the nuclear threats from the Russian leadership. Currently, I’m not that concerned because Putin knows very well that if he were to use weapons of mass destruction, tactical nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, biological weapons, there would be a determined NATO military response.

FP: President Emmanuel Macron of France recently made comments saying that the West shouldn’t “humiliate” Putin, which he was then criticized for. But it’s an important debate because if the West is wary of poking Russia and it’s wary of giving Ukraine the highest level of weapons that it has, do you think that’s the right approach on the part of NATO?

AFR: No, I completely disagree. We cannot save Putin from humiliation. The cost of face-saving for Mr. Putin will be much higher than an outright defeat for the Russian troops in Ukraine. That’s why my conclusion is that Ukraine must win this war, because if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he won’t stop. He will continue into Moldova, Georgia, and eventually also put pressure on the three Baltic states. That’s why the Ukrainians must win, and they have the will to fight. It’s our duty to give them the means to fight. [Continue reading…]