NATO warns Russia: "They will quickly regret it"

In an extensive interview for the "NRC" newspaper published on Monday, Bauer emphasized that even the potential long-term aspect of Russia's war against Ukraine would not dampen NATO's morale. "We will continue to support Ukraine," the admiral reassured.

Bauer expressed his belief that NATO allies understand the stakes of this war better than anyone else.

"Sometimes I wonder if people who ask about further support truly comprehend the consequences of Russians winning in Ukraine," said Bauer. He added that the outcomes would extend far beyond the continued existence of Ukraine as a sovereign state. "If Russia won, it wouldn't signal the end of the conflict. Moscow's ambition wouldn't be satisfied," stated the admiral.

Simultaneously, Bauer highlighted the folly in asserting that Ukraine could easily reclaim lost territory, including Crimea and Donbas. "This wouldn't be the case solely due to Russian defense, but also because there are 350,000 Russian soldiers in the seized regions," Bauer noted.

The Dutch military officer opines that NATO countries must transition their economies into a form of "war economy". He argues that simple declarations of allocating additional financial resources are insufficient. There needs to be an increase in the production of ammunition and military equipment. "Don't just order more, increase production capacity," urged the admiral.

Bauer reiterated that NATO is a defensive organization, and if Russia were to invade any member state's territory, they would "quickly regret it." "We possess such forces and weapon systems that the battle would be entirely different for Russia compared to their current engagement in Ukraine," stated the chairman of the NATO Military Committee.