US General: Russia only respects strength, so NATO needs unity

The best way for NATO to reduce the risk of a "Russian invasion" of Europe is to constantly demonstrate its strength to Moscow, - Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, commander of US Army forces in Europe, told CNN.

A NATO military exercise in Lithuania (Photo: Sputnik)

The Kremlin has not yet agreed on the details of the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The presidents will meet for the first time next week at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

The commander of US Army forces in Europe believes that there is only one thing that Russia respects. Of course, that is strength.

Responding to a reporter's question about the possibility of a Russian invasion, General Ben Hodges, commander of US Army forces in Europe, said that "the best way to minimize the probability of this event is to demonstrate the strength of our great alliance, the most successful alliance in the history of the world, and stand shoulder to shoulder."

"NATO is now 29 countries. And I think we are strong because of NATO's unity and the US commitment to defend Europe. We will continue to do everything to make the probability of a Russian attack negligible" - Mr. Ben Hodges said.

"However, if we look back at Russian history over the past three or four centuries, it is clear that they only respect strength. If we ourselves become weak and the alliance is not solid, or if they perceive that we are not resolute, then I think the probability of aggression will certainly increase."

According to Sputnik