General Philip Breedlove: "NATO will defend its allies"

On Russia's current involvement in Syria, Breedlove said: "I do believe that the Russians clearly want the world looking at what they are doing here in Syria. 'See how we cooperate.' So that the world's not watching what they are doing in, and are continuing to do, in Ukraine."

When Tim Sebastian asked the general about the difficulties in degrading Islamic State, or ISIL, Breedlove responded: "Think of what their size would be without the efforts of the coalition. Now, as to them spreading into other places in the world - this is clearly an issue which the entire western world and elements of the rest of the world are going to have to address. Because ISIL or this DAESH, this movement, is definitely growing in different directions."

Breedlove said NATO would support independent investigations into an allegedly errant bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in northeastern Afghanistan. He added that such an investigation would also receive his personal support.

Philip Breedlove, born in 1955, joined the US Air Force in 1978 after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Between overseas assignments in South Korea, Spain, Italy and Germany, Breedlove served at the Pentagon and the US Air Force Headquarters in Washington D.C.. He also trained and worked at various Air Force Bases in the US. In 2012, Breedlove became commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe and the following year he assumed command of U.S. European Command and NATO Allied Command Operations as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Tim Sebastian invites national and international decision-makers to his weekly DW show. "Conflict Zone"airs every Wednesday at 17.30 UTC and will be available online on demand.

On Russia's current involvement in Syria, Breedlove said: "I do believe that the Russians clearly want the world looking at what they are doing here in Syria. 'See how we cooperate.' So that the world's not watching what they are doing in, and are continuing to do, in Ukraine."

When Tim Sebastian asked the general about the difficulties in degrading Islamic State, or ISIL, Breedlove responded: "Think of what their size would be without the efforts of the coalition. Now, as to them spreading into other places in the world - this is clearly an issue which the entire western world and elements of the rest of the world are going to have to address. Because ISIL or this DAESH, this movement, is definitely growing in different directions."

Breedlove said NATO would support independent investigations into an allegedly errant bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in northeastern Afghanistan. He added that such an investigation would also receive his personal support.

Philip Breedlove, born in 1955, joined the US Air Force in 1978 after graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Between overseas assignments in South Korea, Spain, Italy and Germany, Breedlove served at the Pentagon and the US Air Force Headquarters in Washington D.C.. He also trained and worked at various Air Force Bases in the US. In 2012, Breedlove became commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe and the following year he assumed command of U.S. European Command and NATO Allied Command Operations as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Tim Sebastian invites national and international decision-makers to his weekly DW show. "Conflict Zone"airs every Wednesday at 17.30 UTC and will be available online on demand.