As long as this war is fought, Europe is safe, Ishinger says
Photo: former head of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
As long as this war is being fought, Europe is safe. If Ukrainians lay down their arms, Russia will have time to regroup, and its next target would be NATO.
This was stated by former head of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger, according to his interview with DW.
Ischinger highly praised Ukraine’s role in ensuring Europe’s security amid Russia’s aggressive ambitions.
"As long as this war is being fought, you know, vigilantly and courageously, by our Ukrainian friends, Europe is safe," he said.
The former official noted that Europe is secure because Ukrainians have for many years successfully "tied down the mighty Russian army in an incredibly sustained fight." However, once the war ends, when the guns fall silent in Donbas and other regions of Ukraine, the Kremlin will once again have "all the time in the world."
He explained that Russia is a country stretching across ten or eleven time zones and will have ample time to regroup.
At the same time, Ischinger believes Europe’s efforts to protect itself will not end there but will, on the contrary, truly begin to take shape.
"So far, the Ukrainians carry the burden. Once the war ends, we will have to carry a much larger share of that burden," the former head of the Munich Security Conference added.
In conclusion, he agreed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s view that the North Atlantic Alliance would be the Kremlin’s next target after Ukraine.
Europe prepares for possible war
Europe is preparing for a potential war amid the threat from Russia, primarily by strengthening its defense capabilities. As for support for Ukraine from European allies, it is already known that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will receive weapons from US stockpiles worth about $5 billion under the PURL program by the end of 2025.
According to the latest data, 21 NATO member states, more than half of the Alliance, have joined the PURL mechanism for purchasing US weapons for Ukraine.
Australia and New Zealand, which are not NATO members, have joined efforts to procure US weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
