Retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark, the former supreme allied commander in Europe, gently pushed back, arguing that a determined NATO and United States, with renewed sanctions, air defense, electronic warfare, intelligence and powerful long-range fire can beat back Russia.
“If you want Putin to stop, you need to convince him he can lose big time,” Clark said, referring to the Russian president.
Kupchan and Clark spoke before the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Defense and Security Committee early on the second day of the assembly’s gathering in Dayton. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s spring session meets in Dayton through Monday.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and controls roughly 20% of the country. Battle lines have largely stalemated although many observers believe Russia is preparing a renewed offensive with warmer weather.
While attempts at ceasefire talks have resulted in the biggest exchange of prisoners of war so far in the conflict, they generally have not brought the sides any closer to a cessation of fighting. In talks held in Istanbul this month, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each.
Kupchan sounded pessimistic notes, saying a proposed settlement on the table is probably as good as it will get for Ukraine — battle lines frozen in a ceasefire leaving Russia in control of the territory it now possesses.
“It will be more of a frozen conflict than a real settlement,” he said.
He said Europe and the United States must put themselves in “lockstep” in terms of pulling back Russian sanctions and efforts to pull Russia from China’s orbit.
Clark, however, argued that the battlefield in Ukraine “is far from static. This war is far from settled.”
He argued that the West misunderstands Russia, home to a very different economy with people who have very different standards of comfort and discomfort.
“You don’t have deterrence if you are afraid of the consequences of resistance against an aggressor,” said Clark, a former four-star general.
Russia intends to threaten the Balkans and Finland, where Moscow had strengthened its military bases near the NATO border, Clark said.
Finland officially joined NATO in April 2023, with Sweden formally joining less than a year later.
To stop future Russian aggression, Clark told the committee it must “build the D-Day force in Ukraine today.”
“There’s no magic bullet here, but we are at an inflection point,” he said.
Countered Kupchan: “I would love to see Russian troops driven from Ukraine, but that is just not realistic.”
Later Saturday, Yehor Cherniev, a Ukrainian politician, urged to the committee NATO’s continued support of his nation, saying on Friday night, Russia launched of the largest missile strikes against the Ukrainian capital of Kiev since the war began in 2022.
He urged the committee to push for stronger “victory sanctions” against Russia, striking at what he called its weak spot: Its economy.
“There is only one way out of this situation: Peace through strength,” Cherniev said.
The committee is scheduled to continue to meet until 6 p.m. Saturday, with sessions on Ukraine, China and industrial cooperation.
Public forums Saturday afternoon will take place at the University of Dayton Roger Glass Center for the Arts on Bosnia and Herzegovina and an interview with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
The assembly is a transatlantic forum that brings together 281 parliamentarians from NATO’s 32 member countries. More than 500 participants are expected to visit the city, Perestrello said.
About the Author
