Not mighty bear: NATO chief compares Russia to garden snail
Photo: Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General (Getty Images)
Russia wants NATO countries to see it as a mighty bear. But in reality, Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the pace of a garden snail, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Munich Security Conference, Anadolu Agency reports.
According to Rutte, there is broad agreement among NATO defense ministers on continuing and increasing support for Ukraine.
"Russians are ripping up staggering losses day in, day out. 35,000 dead in December. 30,000 deaths in January. They want us to perceive the Russians as a mighty bear, but you could argue that they are moving through Ukraine at the stilted speed of a garden snail. And let's not forget it. Let's not fall for the trap of the Russian propaganda," he said.
Rutte added that closer cooperation between NATO and the European Union has improved joint efforts, particularly in the issue of assistance to Ukraine.
"I think the cooperation between NATO and the EU probably has never been as strong as it is today," the NATO Secretary General said.
Rutte also stressed that European countries are now taking on greater responsibility, assuming a larger share of the burden for their own security and playing a more significant leadership role within NATO.
Russia is a "paper tiger"
Last September, US President Donald Trump described Russia as a paper tiger.
In his view, a real military power should have won in a week, whereas Russia has been waging a costly war against Ukraine for three and a half years without achieving its objectives.
Trump also argued that the war has pushed the Russian economy into a critical state, with most funds being spent on military operations and fuel shortages appearing in cities.
In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is more commonly associated with a bear.
