The first EU official who “shocked his country” with his statement about the strong military advantage of Russian forces was former head of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force Michael Graydon. Graydon announced that British defense forces had been 'decimated' and that the country would be unlikely to stand up to Russia in case of a military conflict.
NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Philip Breedlove, also raised questions about the ability of the alliance to "appropriately respond" to potential large-scale military threats. He questioned NATO’s flexibility and ability to quickly response to emerging threats what highlighted his lack of confidence in NATO's efficiency, according to the magazine.
And finally, US General Ben Hodges told the "Wall Street Journal" earlier this month that Russia possesses high-level military equipment and is further strengthening its capacity, while the military capabilities of western countries have considerably fallen behind.