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Putin Faking Military Strength to Test NATO Resolve, Says PACE Vice President
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is attempting to portray a level of military strength he does not actually possess—a calculated move to test NATO and European resolve, says Lord Don Touhig, Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Lord Touhig commented on recent drone-related incidents and provocations in NATO countries, suggesting they form part of a broader campaign by the Kremlin to create the illusion of dominance.
Europe, he noted, is beginning to feel the rising threat from Russia, although “it’s not a top priority” at the moment.
“Because I believe that through these incursions, Putin is trying to show he has such capabilities and to test what kind of response he’ll get from NATO and Western European nations,” Lord Touhig said.
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According to him, these provocations are not evidence of actual power but rather a deliberate attempt to manipulate perception.
Lord Touhig added that Putin is creating the impression of having power, although he himself was not convinced that the Russian army truly possessed such strength. In his view, Russia likely did not have that level of capability, but Putin was deliberately trying to showcase it.
“Night after night on our TV screens we see another attack on Kyiv. Then the next morning—an incursion into Estonia, an incursion into Finland (referring to airspace or maritime violations—ed.), and so on. And I think he’s creating the impression of greater military might than he actually has. And in fact, he doesn’t have it—and he knows it,” Vice President stated.
Earlier, Estonia temporarily shut down part of its border with Russia after spotting unusual activity near the Saatse Boot, a narrow strip of Russian territory surrounded by Estonia.
The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board reported that patrol officers observed a sharp increase in movement on the Russian side. They noted that several armed individuals were seen walking along the border and even forming a line that stretched across a roadway.
