Direct from a Russian General

Apti Alaudinov, a high-ranking Russian general and Chechen force commander active in Ukraine, has declared Russia’s objective to dismantle the NATO military bloc by 2030. Alaudinov, recently promoted to deputy of the Main Directorate for Military and Political Work at the Russian defense ministry by President Vladimir Putin, expressed these views on a Russia-1 state television program, speaking with Olga Skabeyeva, the co-host of “60 Minutes.”

Anton Gerashchenko, who formerly advised Ukraine’s internal affairs minister, subsequently shared this segment of his interview on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.

 

Statements indicating potential Russian attacks on NATO countries have been made repeatedly by Russian officials, attributed to the support those nations have given Ukraine with military supplies during the ongoing conflict. “Apti Alaudinov, a key confidant of [Chechen leader] Ramzan Kadyrov and recently assigned a role in the Russian defense ministry, informed Russian broadcaster Skabeyeva that Russia plans a protracted conflict throughout the decade aiming to annihilate NATO,” Gerashchenko noted.

To Quote General Alaudinov

In the broadcast, Alaudinov mentioned:

“We face a challenging journey up to 2029-2030, but I am confident about the result of this special military operation—NATO will no longer exist in its current form.”

He further asserted:

“Most nations currently aligned with America will ultimately capitulate and pledge allegiance to Russia, seeking inclusion in our alliance.”

Alaudinov is also touted by the Russian investigative outlet Novaya Gazeta as a possible successor to Ramzan Kadyrov, who is believed to be suffering from necrotizing pancreatitis—a condition leading the Kremlin to search for his replacement.

Putin Focus More on Nukes

President Putin, in March, refuted any notion of Russia planning an assault on NATO territories. “The idea that we would follow up Ukraine with an attack on Europe is utterly preposterous,” he remarked. Highlighting the disparity in defense expenditures between Washington and Moscow, Putin questioned the plausibility of confronting NATO. Nonetheless, since September 2022, he has affirmed Russia’s readiness to deploy nuclear weapons in defense of its territorial integrity, stating unequivocally, “This is not a bluff.” More recently, in his annual national address in Moscow this February, Putin announced that his strategic nuclear forces were fully operational.

Zelensky Also Believes Putin May Target NATO

Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speculated that should Kyiv fall to Russian forces, Putin might next target NATO member Poland, potentially sparking World War III, as reported by the BBC.

Echoing similar concerns, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated last week that a Russian victory in Ukraine might precipitate World War III. In an interview with the BBC in Washington, D.C., Shmyhal remarked, “The defeat of Kyiv would unravel the global security framework… leading to the emergence of a new security system or a sequence of similar conflicts eventually escalating into a Third World War.”