In response to a question at the Oct. 2 Valdai Discussion Club on the character of modern warfare, Russian President Vladimir Putin argued that, in Ukraine, Russia is “effectively at war with the collective might of NATO.”
“They are no longer even hiding this fact,” he said. “We see this in the direct involvement of NATO instructors and representatives from Western countries in the hostilities. A command center has been established in Europe for the purpose of coordinating our adversary’s war effort: providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with intelligence, satellite imagery, weapons, and training. And I must reiterate: these foreign personnel are not only involved in training; they are directly participating in operational planning and combat operations themselves.”
He went on to discuss the character of modern warfare.
“Technological paradigms can shift in a month, sometimes in a week. I have said this many times. Suppose we deploy a key innovation, such as high-precision weapons, including long-range systems, which are a vital component of modern warfare—and it suddenly grows less effective,” Putin said.
