Rutte: Putin seeks to restore Moscow's influence over the entire territory of the former USSR.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans regarding Ukraine. He spoke about this in an interview with BBC Radio.
According to the alliance's secretary general, the Russian leader aims to implement the "historical idea of restoring Moscow's influence over Ukraine." Furthermore, Rutte suggested that this idea of Russian influence could extend over the entire territory of the former USSR.
Previously, Rutte stated that Russia could surpass NATO in strength within a few years. This will happen if the member countries of the military-political bloc do not fulfill their commitment to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense.
