Among the main strategic goals of the Russian leadership is a kind of restoration of the Russian Empire; however, this strategy is unviable, so Russia should abandon it and move to Plan B, and NATO should strive to influence what this new Russian plan will be, said in an interview with LETA the Director of Strategic Communications of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Brigadier General Jay Jensen.
"In terms of restoring the Russian Empire, the Russians are doing very poorly. As someone interested in strategy, I would say this is an unviable strategy. If your strategy is unviable, then you need to start looking for a compromise or a Plan B," said Jensen.
According to the general, the Kremlin is having a hard time right now, and the Russians realize that they cannot implement their main strategy, but they find it difficult to understand what this Plan B might look like. "Therefore, we must strive to influence the Russians to choose a Plan B that we could foresee, one that would bring a better, not worse, future," the official stated.
"I have no doubt that our deterrence position is still effective. We are capable of not allowing them to gain advantages. This is what our brigades on the front line must ensure, with all the air, naval, and space forces at their disposal. And it works. So far, no one has attacked the alliance. But we must be ready," Jensen said.
The general agreed with the opinion that the Kremlin likely has no Plan B at all. "I think that all the major threats and increasingly brutal actions in Ukraine are signs of desperation. Their strategy is not working, and there is no obvious Plan B. On one hand, this indicates that Russia has problems. It is weaker than it assumed. On the other hand, this is a very sensitive time when Russia is like a wounded but therefore even more dangerous beast. Therefore, many allied leaders are now thinking about how all this will end. What Plan B would we like to see? And what can we do to steer Russia towards such a plan," Jensen stated.
He acknowledged that instability will last for many years. This is evidenced by the fact that the Kremlin has completely changed the curriculum in Russian schools, subjecting even small children to propaganda. "When these children become high school students, the state begins to turn them into soldiers. These are not military schools. Regular schools. Children are learning to handle weapons, and they are told that their duty is to defend the homeland at any cost. Children are being prepared to be mobilized at some point. This is indoctrination of children starting from the age of five," Jensen said.
In his opinion, we should spend less time worrying about what the other side is doing.
"We need to be aware of this, but our energy should be spent on ensuring that we are as resilient as possible, that we are as well-prepared as possible, but at the same time, we must not lose sight of what kind of future we want to see as individuals and as a society. I think we have a common vision of what future NATO we would like to see. And it is worth fighting for. I mean not only on the battlefield. This struggle begins today. It is about resilience. About keeping our democracies healthy. About ensuring that our citizens are informed and engaged," Jensen pointed out.
