Search
AI-powered search, human-powered content.
scroll to top arrow or icon

We should not underestimate Putin, says NATO’s Benedetta Berti

The war in Ukraine may not have gone the way Vladimir Putin expected, but his objectives remain the same.

“I don’t think we underestimated Russia’s strategy and what they were planning in Ukraine … If anything, maybe at the beginning we had overestimated the Russians’ military capabilities,” says Benedetta Berti, NATO’s policy planning chief, during a Global Stage livestream conversation hosted by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft at the Munich Security Conference.


NATO has strengthened its defense posture while reinforcing its deterrence, and Ukrainians have broken the myth of Russian invincibility. But, she adds, it would be a strategic mistake to underestimate what Russia can do in the future.

Watch the full Global Stage Livestream conversation here: Is there a path ahead for peace in Ukraine?

More from Global Stage

Salome Zourabichvili on Putin, Trump, and the West’s response to Russia

At the 2026 Paris Peace Forum, former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili reflects on why Western democracies failed to respond more forcefully to Vladimir Putin’s efforts to expand Russian influence over neighboring countries and challenge European security, despite years of warning signs.

Building safer AI products for children

AI is creating new ways for children to learn and interact, but how are companies building these tools with young users in mind?

New Paris Peace Forum chief on kids, AI and a shifting world

Can sovereignty and cooperation go together? Franck Paris, the new director general of the Paris Peace Forum, says sovereignty without cooperation is "just an illusion."

France’s Éléonore Caroit on children's safety online and youth protests

As children face growing risks from social media, artificial intelligence, and other global challenges, France is calling for stronger international action to protect younger generations.

How can AI enhance human progress?

As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and more deeply embedded in everyday life, how can we ensure it remains a tool for human progress, and under human control?

Loneliness, youth, and the rise of online radicalization

Should governments ban young people from social media? Paul Ash of the Christchurch Call Foundation says he has real reservations about age bans but understands why governments are turning to them.