Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Saadi: There were concerns that Lahham would be placed under administrative detention.
Al-Saadi: The Israeli occupation authorities could not prove any allegations leveled against Nasser Lahham.
Lawyer Oussama al-Saadi: The oppressive Israeli measures of delaying Lahham's release had vengeful motives.
Nasser Lahham's lawyer said the journalist was released without any conditions or restrictions, adding that the conditions in which he was kept were terrible.
The Israeli occupation authorities release Al Mayadeen Palestine bureau chief Nasser al-Lahham.
Local Syrian sources: An Israeli airstrike targeted a tank and artillery battalion in the city of Izraa in the Daraa countryside
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in eastern Lebanon: 12 martyrs and 5 wounded in Israeli raids targeting the outskirts of Wadi Fa'ra in the northern Bekaa Valley
Local Syrian sources: More than 10 Israeli raids targeted Sweida, with information about more than five casualties from the Internal Security Forces
Local Syrian sources: Initial reports indicate that approximately 15 people were killed or wounded at the al-Radwan family's guest house in Sweida following a direct exchange of gunfire
Israeli media, citing Israeli political sources, reported that the Shas movement is expected to withdraw from the government within less than 24 hours

NATO commander fearmongers about Russia, urges more military spending

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 3 Jul 2023 16:33
5 Min Read

The chief of NATO's Military Committee says it is believed Russia will regain its military capabilities within years.

  • x
  • NATO senior chief fearmongers members, asks for more military spending
    Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer addresses a media conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, January 19, 2023 (AP)

Ukraine's counteroffensive should not be judged based on its pace nor should it be deemed a disappointment considering how difficult it is and the heavy Russian defenses deployed in the country, the head of NATO's Military Committee told reporters on Monday.

"The counteroffensive, it is difficult. People should never think that this is an easy walkover," Admiral Rob Bauer said.

"There's a considerable number of Russians in Ukraine. There are considerable defensive obstacles," he said, in an attempt to downplay the failure to achieve any major advance yet.

Kiev and other Western officials and experts admitted earlier that the operation did not reach the expectations level despite having been hyped for months and the substantial level of military and financial backing offered to Ukraine by its allies.

Read more: Russian troops repel another Ukrainian counteroffensive

"It is not a surprise that it [counteroffensive] is not going fast," Bauer added.

"We should not comment on Ukraine like they should go faster or it's disappointing they're not going fast. It is extremely difficult, this type of operation."

Commanders in the Ukrainian army were right to be "cautious" and look for weaknesses in Russia's defense lines, the admiral claimed, noting that Ukraine's forces would have suffered major losses in case of a full-on offense.

Bauer stressed that NATO believes Russia's army would "bounce back" from the losses it took in Ukraine and would rebuild itself in the next years.

"We will continue to look at them as a serious threat," he said. 

"They might not be 11 feet tall, but they're certainly not two feet tall." 

The Military Committee Chief further claimed that the coalition could take a breathing space as it will take Moscow "a considerable number of years" to regain its pre-war power and capabilities.

But for now, Bauer confirmed that NATO members must continue to support Ukraine through all means necessary.

Related News

Biden's candidacy hinges on performance at upcoming debate, Hersh says

Hersh says US blocked Ukraine-Russia peace talks months ago

"If Ukraine loses that war, and that is not the end of instability. That is the start of more instability," he cautioned. 

The Admiral noted that reinforcing NATO's posture "costs money" and that delays in increasing military spending will slow this process.

He said bulking up NATO's posture "costs money" and has previously warned that delays to boosting military spending could slow that down. 

Read more: For the second time, NATO agrees to extend Stoltenberg mandate

More money

Kiev has been pushing for the approval of its NATO application lately as it considers that it can spearhead the war coalition's efforts to corner Russia. But such a decision requires a unanimous vote, which is currently very far-fetched.

However, Ukraine is betting that it will receive more and accelerated military assistance during the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania scheduled between 11-13 July.

Western media and officials warned earlier that Kiev's counteroffensive did not meet expectations and that Ukrainian forces are underperforming compared to the Russian army.

Meanwhile, Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh warned last month that Ukraine's counteroffensive would not bring any good to Kiev, the United States, or NATO.

In an interview he gave to George Galloway, Hersh explained how "this [counteroffensive] isn't going to be good for Ukraine, it's not going to be good for NATO, it's certainly not going to be good for the Biden administration."

The journalist explained that the Ukrainian army is comprised of "so many disparate groups," comparable to 15 different dance teams that suddenly are forced to organize a routine together after practicing alone for a very long.

In a more recent report, Hersh said the US should consider Kiev's failure to cross over Russian defense lines as a “wake-up call”.

An informed official told famed journalist Hersh that "it would take [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky's military 117 years" to reassert Kiev's power over the lands which Russia now controls; which is approximately a surface area of 40,000 square miles.

The journalist stated that in the two weeks prior, the Ukrainian military had only captured 44 miles of terrain, the majority of which was open country situated before the first of Russia's multilayered defense lines.

Hersh urged US President Joe Biden to finally acknowledge, publicly, that “the estimated more than $150 billion that his administration has put up [to arming Ukraine] thus far turned out to be a very bad investment,” before adding that the “looming disaster in Ukraine… should be a wake-up call” for Washington lawmakers.

  • Seymour Hersh
  • Rob Bauer
  • Russia
  • war in Ukraine
  • NATO summit
  • Kiev
  • Nato Alliance
  • Ukraine

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the al Udeid Airbase outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25, 2025 (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show Iran attack damaged US comms dome in Qatari base

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
An Israeli soldier abandons an excavator during an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades. Arabic text reads "The moment the soldier fled", July, 10, 2025 (Al Qassam Military Media)

Israeli media rue al-Qassam footage, alarmed by fighters among troops

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Syrian government forces deploy at the Mazraa village on the outskirts of city of Sweida, where clashes erupted between Bedouin clans and Druze factions, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Gulf-backed negotiations underway in Syria's Sweida to end clashes

UN: 798 Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid in Gaza
Palestine

UN: 798 Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid in Gaza

A damaged car is seen at a field that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Nabi Sheet village, in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, Wednesday, August 21, 2024 (AP)
Politics

Hezbollah condemns Israeli Bekaa massacre, urges action from Lebanon

Palestinians walk next to the closed humanitarian aid distribution center of UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime cuts electricity, water supplies to UNRWA Gaza offices

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS