According to Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence, Russia’s goal is to march on Kyiv, overthrow the government, and replace it with a puppet regime.
Bausch thinks that while it is unlikely that Russia will occupy all of Ukraine, it is “possible” that some parts of Ukraine will be annexed, notably places of strategical importance. The main goal is to gain control over Ukraine, Bausch explained. Russian President Vladimir Putin uses “a new type of language” when he speaks of “consequences never seen before”, the Minister stated, adding that he considers it “unprecedented” in the post-WWII era.
“Unfortunately, there are not just people in the world who want peace,” Bausch went on to stay, “but also despots like Mr Putin who would have the power to do certain things that would bring humanity to the brink of absolute disaster”.
NATO cannot intervene militarily, Bausch stressed, pointing out that Ukraine is not a NATO member, and that the organisation cannot now also break international law. NATO has “certain values” and is after all “a defensive alliance”, Bausch stressed. The Minister stated that he “can understand” that the Ukrainian community feels abandoned, even though “this is not the case”. Bausch pointed out that the economic sanctions will come at a “high cost” for the West as well. In any case, Bausch explained, NATO does not want to imitate Putin’s “brutal” actions, as it would “not achieve anything” besides perhaps “trigger World War III”.
As for arms shipments to Ukraine, Bausch thinks that it would also not have achieved anything, seeing as the Russian army is “one of the biggest in the world”. Supplying Ukraine with even more weapons would only have led to “more deaths and more injuries” without significantly improving Ukraine’s chances in the war.
The Minister thinks that it is unlikely that Vladimir Putin will attack a NATO member state. NATO as a whole “is superior to the Russian army,” according to Bausch. At this stage, NATO’s main task is to secure the borders of its member states and that of the EU, a topic which will be discussed during the NATO summit meeting on Friday, Bausch explained.
Four Luxembourgish soldiers are currently stationed in Lithuania, as part of a NATO troop. The Minister thinks that it is possible that more soldiers will be deployed. Bausch also rejected the criticism that the West had underestimated the situation, pointing out that Russia “has always been a point of discussion in the NATO Council over the past years”. “We were aware of the risks,” the Minister of Defence stated.
