"Russia wants the world to fear a mighty bear. The reality? Its troops are crawling through Ukraine like a filthy little garden snail, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared at the Munich Security Conference. "Russians are ripping up staggering losses day in, day out. 35,000 dead in December. 30,000 in January," Rutte said. "They want us to see them as a mighty bear, but they're moving at snail's pace. Let's not fall for Russian propaganda.""
"NATO defense ministers are united on continuing and boosting support for Ukraine. Rutte praised closer NATO-EU cooperation, saying it has strengthened efforts to aid Kyiv. "I think the cooperation between NATO and the EU probably has never been as strong as it is today," he said. European nations are taking more responsibility for their own security. They are playing a bigger leadership role within NATO than ever before."
"Last September, former US President Donald Trump called Russia a paper tiger. A real military power should have won in a week. Russia is three and a half years into a costly war in Ukraine and hasn't achieved its objectives," he said. Trump warned that the conflict has crippled Russia's economy and caused fuel shortages in Russian cities. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insists that Russia is more commonly associated with a bear."
Russia's outward image as a mighty bear contrasts with battlefield realities of slow advances and severe losses. Reported casualty figures and stalled operations show diminishing Russian momentum three and a half years into the conflict. NATO defense ministers remain united in continuing and increasing aid to Ukraine, while closer NATO-EU cooperation has strengthened support for Kyiv. European nations are taking greater responsibility for their security and leadership roles within NATO. Criticism from international figures characterizes Russia's military performance as underwhelming, while Kremlin spokespeople continue to invoke traditional Russian symbolism of a bear.
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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