Russia must be ready for potential conflict with NATO 'within 10 years,' defense minister says

Russia should prepare for multiple scenarios, including a war with NATO, in the next 10 years, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said during a Defense Ministry meeting on Dec. 16, the Interfax news agency reported.

Speaking about a possible confrontation with the alliance, Belousov pointed to unspecified changes in NATO countries' doctrines and conclusions reached during the Washington summit in July.

“(Preparing for war) is indicated by the decisions that were made at the North Atlantic Alliance summit held in July of this year. This is also reflected in the doctrinal documents of the United States and other NATO countries," Belousov said.

During NATO’s 75th-anniversary celebration and summit in July, Ukraine received more air defense systems, $43 billion in funding, a NATO representative in Kyiv, and new bilateral security agreements, as well as the pledge that its path toward membership is "irreversible."

Tensions between NATO and Russia have been mounting since the allied countries began providing arms and other support to Ukraine after the outbreak of the full-scale invasion. Moscow has issued a number of veiled and overt threats to the West over its support for Kyiv, including warnings of a possible nuclear response.

Multiple Western officials have raised warnings about a possible open clash with Russia in the coming years, with NATO leaders calling for increasing the defense spending benchmark from 2% to 3% of gross domestic product.

Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukraine struggles to halt Russian advance near Pokrovsk

Russian troops are closing in on Pokrovsk from the east and south. After the capture of Shevchenko village just south of the city, Russian forces are less than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from this key logistics hub sitting on the western edge of Donetsk Oblast. “The fighting is extremely

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

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