NATO Secretary General Says Vladimir Putin "Made a Big Strategic Mistake" in Ukraine

During an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responds to a question about whether Ukraine is turning into the Vietnam War for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Stoltenberg says the Russian leader "made a big strategic mistake" by invading Ukraine and that he ended up with more countries on its border wanting to join NATO as a result of the war. He also says that Mr. Putin failed to achieve his strategic goals in Ukraine, namely to capture Kyiv, decapitate the government and control the country, and he says the offensive in the Donbas region is moving very slowly. "I'm not predicting the outcome of this war...Russia did not achieve its goals in Ukraine. This plan was a short military operation. It's a long costly war for Russia," Stoltenberg says. close