held up in ongoing negotiations# over funding for border security.

Earlier today, I spoke with former NATO# Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen## about what this means as Russia's# war in Ukraine enters its third year.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, thank you so much# for being here.

Welcome to the "NewsHour."

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN, Former NATO# Secretary-General: Thank you for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So I w far to reach a deal on immigration that# would allow Ukraine aid to m You have said previously you would advise# Democrats to accommodate Republicans on## the border, cut a deal, get the# aid flowing.

I know you're meeting## with House Freedom Caucus members# tomorrow.

What's your advice to them ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: My advice# would be to do what it takes to## ensure that Ukraine wins the war against Russia,## because it is detrimental for the U.S. national# security interests if Russia wins this war.

We cannot allow Putin any success in Ukraine.

AMNA NAWAZ: There's a very real chance# that former President Donald Trump will## be the Republican nominee, that he could win in# November.

If a under the Biden administration, do you believe# it could move forward under President Trump?

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: Yes, we don't know.# As a point of departure, I'm skeptical.

AMNA NAWAZ: When you look forward,# though, into the months ahead and what## could happen here in the U.S., you have# said tha you said his nomination alone could# be a geopolitical catastrophe.

Why?

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: Because th e fact that he probably will be nominated# as the Republican presidential candidate,## already, that has changed the way# international actors, they take decisions.

They try to hedge their bets.# And, in Europe, for instance,## there is a great concern that a new# administration might be more inward-looking,## more isolationist, that they will leave# Europe behind.

I don't think that would## be in the interest of the United States to# weaken its alliance across the Atlantic.

On the contrary, we should strengthen# the transatlantic alliance.

AMNA NAWAZ: Can I ask you about what we# have seen in the U.S. public, though,## which is some decline in support for continuing# the same level of U.S. funding an d specifically this idea that# European nations should be doing more?

Should Europe be bearing more of the security# burden, especially when it comes to Ukraine?

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: Yes.

And we are doing so.

Latest figures demonstrate that Europe# has now overtaken the U.S. when it## comes both to military assistance# and direct financial assistance.

AMNA NAWAZ: That was late last year, right?

ANDERS FOGH RA we are n When it comes to the military, according to those# figures, Europe has contributed th e U.S. 44 billion euros.

I appreciate# that the Europeans contribute more.

They## should -- we should do so.

But it cannot# replace a continued U.S. assistance.

We need## both.

We need sophisticated weapons delivered# by the United States, and we need more weapons.

We need to lift all self-imposed# restrictions on weapon deliveries## to Ukraine.

So the mantra that we will# help Ukraine for as long as it takes,## it should be replaced with, we will give# to Ukraine all it takes to win the war.

AMNA NAWAZ: There's been a lot of criticism that,## had the U.S. and NATO Ukraine would be in a different position.# It took 300 days into the war for the U.S.,## for example, to provide long-range missiles# President Zelenskyy had been asking for.

Was that a mistake?

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: Yes, it's really -- I mean,## it's a sad story to see our hesitation.

And the# reason why the Ukrainian counteroffensive has## been so difficult and so modest is that we took# much too long time to take necessary decisions.

You cannot win a war by an incremental,## step-by-step approach.

You have to overwhelm and# surprise your adversary.

We fa AMNA NAWAZ: Can I ask what impact the Israel-Hamas# war has had on all of this?

I mean, there's been## the argument that the U.S. and the world cannot# equally provide support to two ongoing wars.

And the idea that Putin banked on the West# losing interest or being distracted seems to## be now coming true.

What's -- what have# you seen to be the impact of that war?

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: Well, we have seen# how Putin has exploited the situation.

After the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war, we# have seen an intensified Russian offensive against## Ukraine.

A swarm of drones have hit civilian# targets, civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

So,## no doubt that the war between Israel# and Hamas serves the interest of Putin.

And, overall, what you are seeing is an# emerging -- what I would call an emerging## axis of autocracies, led by China, but joined by# Russia, Iran, North Korea.

And this is exactly## what is at stake.

We have to counter this axis# of autocracies.

And we should never forget that## the world's democracies represent more than 60# percent of the global economy, of the global GDP.

So, if we stand together, if we cooperate,## then it will represent a formidable force# that will create a lot of respect in AMNA NAWAZ: Former NATO Secretary-General# Anders Fogh Rasmussen, thank you so much## for being here.

It's a pleasure to speak with you.

ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN: You're welcom