Moscow could launch attack on European state on China's orders - ex-NATO advisor
Russian soldiers in Bataysk, Rostov Oblast, April 10, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Sergey Pivovarov)
Russia could attack a European country because it benefits China, Admiral Rob Bauer, former NATO Military Committee head and chief military advisor to the Alliance's Secretary General until January 2025, said in an interview with NV on April 20.
"I believe in this [that Russia could attack a European country], but it is not related to Ukraine," he said.
"It is related to China. So, the scenario that deeply worries NATO is that China is forging ties with Russia to attack Taiwan, because if Russia attacked a European country, if that happens, the U.S. would have to choose and fight on two fronts. One front is Europe, and the other is in the Asia-Pacific region. This is the scenario now being considered, and it causes concern for NATO. And since Russia is increasingly becoming a Chinese satellite, it will likely have to do it. I think this is a very alarming scenario."
Russia strategically lost the war against Ukraine because the conflict turned Russia into a Chinese satellite, unable to continue the war without Beijing's help, he added.
"It is unacceptable for China if Russia loses the war," the former NATO secretary general's advisor noted.
"However, China is simultaneously not interested in Russia winning the war. A long war benefits China because it keeps us, the democratic world, occupied as we support you."
The European Union will hold exercises to test its mutual assistance mechanism in the event of armed aggression against one of its member states, Bloomberg reported on April 18.
Russia could seize an island in the Baltic Sea to "test NATO's resolve," The Times cited Swedish Commander-in-Chief Michael Claesson in an article published on April 15.
Russia launched a disinformation campaign in Lithuania about the "Klaipėda People's Republic," the Center for Countering Disinformation reported on April 12, citing data from the Lithuanian State Security Department.
Moscow will take "appropriate measures" if EU countries provide their airspace for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on March 31.
If Russia attacks any European Union member state, it will be regarded as an attack on the entire bloc, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated in response.
The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued a joint statement rejecting Moscow's accusations that they provided their airspace for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory on April 10.
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