NATO Cannot Ignore Russia's Military Capabilities, Top General Says

The chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, General Petr Pavel, believes that Russia's efforts to boost its weapons capacity should not be downplayed, despite reports about its military budget reductions. In an interview with RFE/RL in Prague on May 3, the Czech Army general also spoke of his surprise with Russia's relatively sanguine response to recent antigovernment demonstrations in Armenia, which forced Russian ally Serzh Sarkisian to step down as prime minister after a long presidential tenure. Pavel also said that supplies of Western lethal weapons to Ukraine are not the right solution in its ongoing conflict with Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country.