Russia has to prepare for war with NATO as well as complete its war against Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told the Defense Ministry on Monday in a joint meeting with President Vladimir Putin.  

“The Ministry of Defense of Russia must be ready for any development of events, including a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade,” Belousov said.

The Russian comments come as United States President-elect Donald Trump called for a rapid end to the fighting, saying on Monday: “We’re trying to get the war stopped, that horrible, horrible war that’s going on in Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine. We’re going to get a little progress, it’s a tough one, it’s a nasty one, it’s nasty.”

Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "should be prepared to make a deal."

But Moscow shows no sign of giving up the fight it launched over two years ago.

Belousov said that Russia has taken the initiative in the fighting and aims to fully conquer Ukraine's Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions by next year. He claimed that Ukrainian troops are exhausted and the Russian army has been rapidly advancing on all fronts.

He added that Russia has managed to recruit more than 427,000 troops this year — or an average of 1,200 a day.

He also warned that Russia has to prepare to fight NATO due to the threat posed by the alliance.

“This is evidenced by the decisions that were taken at the North Atlantic alliance summit held in July this year. It is also reflected in the doctrinal documents of the U.S. and other NATO countries,” the minister added.

At the same time, Putin blamed the U.S. for “scaring people with a mythical Russian threat” while sending “instructors” to help Ukraine; there is no evidence of Ukraine's allies sending instructors into the country.

“Due to this, Russia is approaching the red line, through which it can no longer retreat and begins to respond," Putin said.

He put the blame for tensions with the West on NATO.

“NATO countries increase military spending and presence near Russian borders. The number of American servicemen in Europe has already exceeded 100,000,” Putin said.