Problems on the battlefield and in the economy put Russia even more in the hands of "unreliable actors," but Moscow is ready to make its people suffer even more, NATO Admiral Rob Bauer believes.

According to the n-tv channel (Germany), he said this in Oslo at the annual NATO conference at the level of defense chiefs (chiefs of general staff) of the Alliance countries.

According to Bauer, Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on "unreliable actors" due to Western sanctions and diplomatic pressure. The Russian armed forces are losing more and more positions, and the whole of Russia is suffering from the consequences of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation, Bauer said at the conference.

“Russia is forced to cooperate with unreliable actors, growing ever more dependent,” the ntv quoted Bauer as saying.

As n-tv notes, Bauer did not name specific players on whom Russia depends. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Putin also has many contacts with other controversial rulers, such as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Shortly after Kim Jong Un, he also arrived at a meeting in Russia - the seventh this year. Belarus has long been considered Russia's closest ally in the war against Ukraine.

Bauer also said that the Russian leadership believes that it will withstand the determination of the Ukrainian people and its allies. “Russia has been preparing for confrontation for years. And they are willing for their population and their economy to endure unending hardships,” Bauer said.

The annual NATO Conference at the level of defense chiefs (Chiefs of General Staff) of the Alliance countries was held in Oslo (Norway) on September 15-17.