Putin wants the West 'disarmed' into thinking his ambitions won't go beyond Ukraine, says former NATO commander

A former NATO commander has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to establish control over Eastern Europe and destroy the alliance.

During an interview with CNN on Sunday, a retired US four-star general urged the West to give more arms to the Ukrainians.

He wants to go to Ukraine. He wants the Baltic states. He wants control of the region. He wants the United States to leave NATO.

Clark, who is a military analyst for CNN and served as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe from 1997 to 2000, said that Putin wants to disrupt the international system and have the West "emotionally" and "morally" disarm.

He called on the US and its NATO allies to bolster military aid for Ukraine, particularly with fighter aircraft, an area that the Pentagon has declined to help with.

Ukraine is the current battlefield. Clark said that the best way to protect the international system is to give assistance to Ukraine and let them handle Russia on the battlefield.

While US military campaigns over the last 50 years involved helping countries who weren't that prepared to fight, the war in Ukraine is different.

We have a first-world country. Their soldiers have the same education as ours. They are as good as we are. Clark said that modern weapons can be used in 24 hours.

He said that they would have to do a better job of listening to the Ukrainians and getting the equipment they need.

The retired general said that Russian forces would try to capture Dnipro in eastern Ukraine to cut off Ukrainian troops in the Donbas area.

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The US has supplied heavy fighting equipment to the Ukrainians so far, but Clark said they would need more.

Not Javelins, not Stingers. That is fine for helping defend cities. They need tanks, mobile cannons, and lots of bullets. They need fuel and repairs. He told CNN that they don't have that for them.

The war in Ukraine will enter its 39th day on Monday. According to the United Nations, at least 1,417 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the fighting and bombardment, and 2,038 have been injured.