Defense Minister says Russia must prepare for NATO conflict
According to Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Russia must brace itself for a direct confrontation with NATO in the coming decade. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The ongoing "tough struggle" between Moscow and the US-led military alliance is intensifying, according to Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.
Belousov warned that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO could occur within the next decade, and emphasized the need for the nation to be prepared for such an eventuality. He made these remarks during a meeting with top defense officials in Moscow on Monday, which was presided over by President Vladimir Putin.
Amid the “tough struggle with the collective West,” Belousov stated that the Russian military has successfully carried out its missions in the Ukraine conflict and other areas this year. He noted that the ongoing standoff with the US and its allies is "continuing to intensify and expand."
In light of this situation, one of the primary objectives of the Russian Defense Ministry is to ensure "full readiness for any development of the situation in the medium term," the minister added. This preparation includes the potential for "a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade."
Belousov emphasized that any such clash would be instigated by the US-led military bloc rather than Moscow. He pointed to decisions made at the NATO summit in July as evidence for the likelihood of conflict, and referenced doctrinal documents from the US and other NATO nations.
He highlighted that NATO is currently transitioning to a new combat readiness protocol that will enable it to deploy a force of 100,000 troops along Russia’s western borders within ten days, a force of 300,000 within a month, and an 800,000-strong force within 180 days.
During the summit in Washington, NATO member states committed to ongoing support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, accusing Moscow of attempting to “fundamentally reconfigure the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.” The alliance labeled Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to allies’ security,” a threat that is expected to endure in the long term.
In his address at the same meeting, President Putin accused the US of aiming "to weaken our country and inflict a strategic defeat" by continually supplying the “de facto illegitimate ruling regime in Kiev” with weapons and funding, along with sending mercenaries and military advisers. He claimed that this strategy is designed to escalate the conflict and deliberately "push us to the red line," in order to use Moscow's response to instill fear in the American public.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Belousov warned that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO could occur within the next decade, and emphasized the need for the nation to be prepared for such an eventuality. He made these remarks during a meeting with top defense officials in Moscow on Monday, which was presided over by President Vladimir Putin.
Amid the “tough struggle with the collective West,” Belousov stated that the Russian military has successfully carried out its missions in the Ukraine conflict and other areas this year. He noted that the ongoing standoff with the US and its allies is "continuing to intensify and expand."
In light of this situation, one of the primary objectives of the Russian Defense Ministry is to ensure "full readiness for any development of the situation in the medium term," the minister added. This preparation includes the potential for "a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade."
Belousov emphasized that any such clash would be instigated by the US-led military bloc rather than Moscow. He pointed to decisions made at the NATO summit in July as evidence for the likelihood of conflict, and referenced doctrinal documents from the US and other NATO nations.
He highlighted that NATO is currently transitioning to a new combat readiness protocol that will enable it to deploy a force of 100,000 troops along Russia’s western borders within ten days, a force of 300,000 within a month, and an 800,000-strong force within 180 days.
During the summit in Washington, NATO member states committed to ongoing support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, accusing Moscow of attempting to “fundamentally reconfigure the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.” The alliance labeled Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to allies’ security,” a threat that is expected to endure in the long term.
In his address at the same meeting, President Putin accused the US of aiming "to weaken our country and inflict a strategic defeat" by continually supplying the “de facto illegitimate ruling regime in Kiev” with weapons and funding, along with sending mercenaries and military advisers. He claimed that this strategy is designed to escalate the conflict and deliberately "push us to the red line," in order to use Moscow's response to instill fear in the American public.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
