Pentagon about Putin: He will not stop in Ukraine and will threaten Europe for long time

She clarified that there is a mistaken belief that Putin needs territory.

"There's a misconception that what Putin's after is territory. He's not after territory. We must not be fooled," said the assistant to the US Secretary of Defense.

Wallander added that negotiations with Putin will not end Russia's aggression. She is convinced that Putin is not going to stop in Ukraine because Ukraine, in her opinion, is a step towards undermining European security, the transatlantic alliance, and therefore American security.

Russia will threaten Europe for many years to come

The representative of the Pentagon said that the US leadership guarantees that Russia will suffer huge costs as a result of the war against Ukraine.

"Russia has expended $211 billion to equip, deploy, maintain & sustain operations in Ukraine. Russian armed forces have suffered at least 315,000 casualties in the fight," she added.

At the same time, the representative of the Pentagon is sure that due to Putin's obsession, Russia will threaten the security of Europe and the United States for many years.

NATO prepares for escalation

Earlier, the agency Bild published a scenario of military exercises in Germany, during which the German armed forces are preparing for a hybrid attack by Russia on the eastern flank of NATO.

In particular, the head of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, stated that the alliance requires transformation, and the West must prepare for an era in which anything can happen at any time, including the onset of war.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also warned of the risk of an attack by Russia in the coming years. According to him, European leaders must be prepared for such a scenario.

Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that Russia may soon restore its military potential and attack NATO countries as soon as 2026.