Wesley Clark, a retired US Army general who served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 1997 to 2000, warned that Russia could soon launch a new provocation or military operation, with Finland, the Baltic states, northern Norway, Moldova and Ukraine all potential targets. He made the comments in an interview with the Ukrainian channel Espresso.
Clark said the current period is extremely serious for the North Atlantic Alliance and the United States. He said Washington is obligated to respond if a NATO member state comes under attack.
He said the United States has a legal obligation to take part in NATO and to respond appropriately to any attack on a NATO member country, and that it also has a moral, unwritten obligation to support and defend Ukraine's borders and territorial integrity.
A test in the coming weeks
Clark said he believes these commitments will be tested in the near future. He said Vladimir Putin appears to be preparing some kind of surprise, possibly at the end of September, possibly in October, or possibly later.
He listed several directions in which Russia might try to escalate the situation. He said it could be against Norway, where he said there is significant Russian activity near the north of the country. He said it could also be against Finland or the Baltic states, or an attempt to link Kaliningrad with Belarus. He said it could involve Transnistria in Moldova, or Ukraine once again.
Call for vigilance
Because of the large number of possible scenarios, Clark said NATO countries need to remain vigilant while not weakening support for Ukraine. He said Putin has many different options for subterfuge, and expressed hope that all NATO members remain aware, alert and continue strong support for Ukraine.
Putin's earlier warning to Europe
Putin earlier said that the deployment of a European military contingent in Ukraine would mean war with Russia. He said Russia has never threatened Europeans and that claims of a threat from Moscow are fabricated.
