Chilling warning as expert shares Putin’s real aim of war against NATO | World | News
Russia will fight NATO in a very different way to its current conflict with Ukraine, an expert has warned. The war in Ukraine caused Russia to sacrifice significant money and men; It would be unsustainable if it went to war with NATO.
Financial Strategist David Roche wrote for the Royal United Services Institute that despite the significant pressure the war in Ukraine has put on the Russian economy, it could open a second front against NATO, although it would have to significantly change the way it fights. He wrote: “There is a widespread view that Russia cannot sustain a new front against NATO or the rest of Europe because its economy is in terrible shape and is already being depleted by its aggression in Ukraine. And indeed the Russian economy is in terrible shape too.”
He continued: “If Russia were to open a new front with Europe, it would try to avoid a war of attrition like the one in Ukraine.
“The aim of the war will be to subdue Europe.”
It is believed that Russia will wage “grey zone” warfare using weapons such as disinformation, cyber warfare and direct sabotage, as opposed to traditional tactics.
Russia currently spends 10 to 12 percent of its GDP on the war in Ukraine, and the Russian economy is largely focused on the war effort.
According to Roche, the financial impact of the war will be felt for years to come, as the country continues to pay bonuses for new soldiers, continues to pay higher peacetime military salaries, and continues to pay inheritance costs owed to the families of missing and wounded soldiers; This will continue to accrue as the war continues.
All this happened at a time when falling GDP and international sanctions were still impacting.
Many analysts debate how long Russia can sustain such high levels of spending, but Roche believes it can continue to finance its war, at least in the short term.
He added: “The day of reckoning for the Russian economy is still far away.
“The economy on its own could lurch like this for 3-5 years. Russia is likely to remain a declining economy by almost every measure other than its ability to wage war.”
“And it can and will do so. The prospects for Russian civilians do not look bright. But internal revolution is unlikely.
“Of course, the ‘war economy’ is unsustainable in the long term. But unfortunately, for the rest of us, this disruption is unlikely to constitute ‘real and actual relief.'”
