Retired U.S. Air Force general speaks about recent history of Russian encroachment and NATO response

Aug. 5—DULUTH

— A retired U.S. general who also led NATO for several years shared his perspective on security concerns surrounding Russia when he spoke July 28 during a Finnish American gathering in Duluth.

Gen. Philip Breedlove, a retired four-star general with the U.S. Air Force and former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO (2013-2016), spoke about Russian encroachment on other countries in the last couple of decades and NATO's response, or lack thereof.

"Russia has decided now for a third time in less than two decades that they will amass their army, cross internationally recognized borders and subjugate portions of their neighboring countries," Breedlove said of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, noting it is a critical time in Europe. "In my 39 years of service and my eight times serving in Europe, these are not the ideals I signed up to support and it is an important time for us to stand up against such an approach by Russia and its leaders."

Breedlove was a part of a panel regarding Finland and U.S./European security at FinnFest 2023. FinnFest is an annual festival bringing together Finnish Americans to socialize and learn more about Finland and Finnish American history and culture.

The general explained what has happened since 2008, when Russia invaded Georgia and the response by the West, allowing the invasion and for Russia to take and continue to hold 20% of that country.

"I would offer that I think history will grade us harshly," Breedlove said. "I see that as rewarding bad behavior."

When Breedlove was Supreme Allied Commander of Europe for NATO, Putin in late 2013 and early 2014 amassed his army and took over Crimea and then invaded and seized a portion of the Donbas just weeks later.

"I was working with a lot of American leaders in trying to develop the response to Mr. Putin, and I give myself about a B-, maybe a C+," Breedlove said. "As history will look back and grade all of our efforts as a result of those invasions in 2014, we once again will be found short of the mark."

The invasion of Crimea and the Donbas will again be seen as rewarding bad behavior as Putin took and still holds about 12% of Ukraine, which includes the most important ports and the ability to control the single remaining port.

"We stand and are watching Mr. Putin, once again, re-invade in anger and try to subjugate the people of the country. We have yet to make our final mark on how we respond to that," Breedlove said, noting his gratitude to the American people, the American Congress and the White House for their support of Ukraine.

"But, I think we have to examine ourselves and say, 'Are we doing enough yet?' Or will we once again reward Mr. Putin's bad behavior with more of Ukraine's property. ... My prayer for the Ukrainian people is that we in the West step up such that they can find their independence from Russian rule on Ukrainian land."

"We don't have to talk about too many wars where Russia didn't do so well in Finland to realize that this a country that has proven its ability across time," Breedlove said. "The capability of the Finnish military is amazing. The day that Finland became a part of this (North Atlantic Treaty) alliance, they brought the second largest artillery capability to the alliance. ... This is going to be a wonderful marriage into the future."