London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Russia is 'a power in decline' but still poses a military threat, NATO chief says

Russia is 'a power in decline' but still poses a military threat, NATO chief says

Ukrainian and Western officials fear a Russian land invasion of its western neighbor, whose Crimean peninsula Russia annexed in 2014.

Russia may be in economic decline, but it still poses a formidable military threat — particularly in the realm of advanced weaponry and cyberwarfare, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.

“Russia is a power in decline, meaning the economic importance of Russia, the GDP is not keeping track with many other countries in the world. But even an economy in decline and a power in economic decline can be a threat and a challenge,” the NATO chief told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble.

“Not least because Russia has nuclear weapons. And Russia is investing in new modern military capabilities, deploying new hypersonic missiles, and also new nuclear-capable missiles deployed here in Europe. And therefore we need to take that very seriously,” Stoltenberg said.

The comments come amid heightened tensions and a volley of verbal threats between Russia and the West, against the backdrop of a massive Russian troop buildup along the border of Ukraine.

An unclassified U.S. intelligence document obtained by Reuters shows Russian military activity on the territory of Russia and Russian-annexed Crimea close to the border with Ukraine.


Ukrainian and Western officials fear a Russian land invasion of its western neighbor, whose Crimean peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. Moscow has rejected the notion, pointing the finger instead at what it says is aggression from Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNBC on Thursday: “Putin has not decided yet whether to do a military operation ... But if he decides to do so, things will happen in the blink of an eye.”

NATO will keep providing ‘support’ for Ukraine


Ukrainian officials say some 90,000 Russian troops have amassed along the border, and satellite imagery shows a significant volume of heavy weaponry along with them.

“What we see now is very concerning because we see a gradual but significant Russian military buildup in and around Ukraine with armored units, with artillery, with battle tanks, and with tens of thousands of combatant troops,” Stoltenberg said. “And on top of that we see an aggressive rhetoric from the Russian side, and we know the track record of Russia. Russia has used military force against Ukraine before.”

Russia supported separatist insurgencies in eastern Ukraine following the 2014 annexation of Crimea, plunging the region into fighting that has left at least 14,000 people dead. Moscow rejects charges of instigating violence, saying it was protecting ethnic Russians from persecution.

Western officials have warned of “severe consequences” for Russia in the event of a new conflict, but have not specified what those might be beyond potential sanctions. Some analysts say this signals a lack of decisiveness or unified approach among Western leaders as to how to deal with Russia.

In any case, NATO has expressed its commitment to providing “support” for Ukraine as a partner. Though because it is not a formal member of the transatlantic alliance, it is not covered by the mutual defense treaty that would guarantee it NATO protection if it were attacked.

Conscripts line up at a railway station before departing for military service with the Russian Army. This year, the autumn military call-up in Russia lasts from October 1 to December 31; estimated 127,500 men are going to be drafted.


“We don’t see a threat against NATO allies, we see a threat against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. “Ukraine is a highly valued partner, but not a NATO member ... covered by the NATO collective security.”

“When it comes to Ukraine, a partner, we can add support. And I think what we need to do now is provide political support but also practical support.”

This, Stoltenberg said, includes NATO allies providing training, capacity building, joint exercises and various equipment to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces. “Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and NATO allies are helping them to strengthen that self-defense to help to prevent a Russian military attack on Ukraine.“

Stoltenberg also stressed the need for dialogue with Russia to reduce tensions, something Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for as well. So far, however, that dialogue has not materialized.

Europe’s energy reliance on Russia


The situation is complicated by Nord Stream 2, the controversial pipeline that would bypass countries like Ukraine and Poland to deliver gas to Europe. Some European leaders including those in Ukraine and Poland have called for the pipeline to be scuttled, and the German government has now suspended the regulatory work on it.

But Europe depends on Russia for much of its gas, which is seeing record high prices as winter sets in. Russia has been accused by many in the West of using energy as a political weapon.

This dilemma, Stoltenberg said, “highlights the importance of diversification of [energy] supplies, as a security imperative but also the reality that climate change has to lead to reduced dependency on fossil fuels.”

As for Nord Stream 2, following Germany’s suspension of regulatory work on the pipeline, “It remains to be seen what will be the end outcome of this process,” Stoltenberg said. “Also many allies have stated the importance of reducing dependency on Russia.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×