Linkevicius: Putin may test NATO before the start of Trump’s presidency
Lithuania has not ruled out the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin may test NATO for several weeks before Donald Trump officially becomes the president of the United States.
This was stated by the minister of foreign affairs of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, in an interview with BBC.
Linkevičius said that there is a danger that Putin considers the period between now and the start of Trump’s presidency in January as an opportunity to test the combat readiness and diplomatic resolution of the alliance.
“There will be no new US administration until the second half of January. I am very afraid and worry for this period, not only because of the threat to the regions, which are easily accessible from the Russian Federation, but let’s hope that Aleppo will not be destroyed during this time,” he said.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is predicting that Russia will continue its policy of aggression against Ukraine and the NATO alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that now is not the time for the United States to abandon NATO or leave European allies alone with the current security challenges.