Putin Might Attack NATO Country He Wins Ukraine War: Dutch Armed Forces Commander

General Onno Eichelsheim highlights the risk of NATO involvement and stresses the need for stronger civil-military cooperation.
  • Defensemirror.com bureau
  • 09:27 AM, November 16, 2024
  • 1164
Putin Might Attack NATO Country He Wins Ukraine War: Dutch Armed Forces Commander
Dutch Armed Forces Commander General Onno Eichelsheim

Even as Russian President Vladimir Putin called German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz to discuss a possible settlement to the Ukraine stalemate, Dutch Armed Forces Commander General Onno Eichelsheim said that there is a serious possibility that he (Putin) will attack a NATO country if he wins the war in Ukraine.

Speaking in Bunnik, Eichelsheim described Putin as the "biggest threat at the moment," emphasizing that a Russian victory could trigger large-scale deployments of Dutch soldiers to NATO’s eastern flank. He stressed that deterrence remains a key strategy to prevent conflict. “A strong, resilient society deters and forces Putin to think twice before attacking a NATO country,” he said.

The Russian attack, he stated, would lead to many wounded soldiers arriving at Dutch hospitals. Eichelsheim highlighted the importance of civil-military cooperation, noting the military's collaboration with 14 civilian hospitals to prepare for wartime casualties, despite challenges like potential disruptions to civilian healthcare. He also suggested reviving Cold War-era practices, such as ambulance trains, to manage wartime logistics.

Meanwhile, Putin has reiterated Russia’s openness to negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict. In a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin emphasized conditions for talks, including Ukraine’s withdrawal from contested territories, adopting a neutral status, and the lifting of Western sanctions, according to the Kremlin.

"As for the prospects for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict, the Russian president noted that the Russian side has never refused and remains open to the resumption of the negotiations that were interrupted by the Kiev regime," the Kremlin said in a statement. "Russia's proposals are well known and outlined, in particular, in a June speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry."

In June, Putin outlined conditions for talks with Ukraine during a meeting with Russian Foreign Ministry leaders: withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson; Ukraine's adoption of non-aligned status; denazification and demilitarization; lifting of Western sanctions; and formalizing these terms in international agreements.

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