Stoltenberg: 'The best way to get there is to continue to provide military support to Ukraine'
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (Photo: Getty Imagеs)
In NATO, allies are called upon to continue supporting Ukraine. Since the stronger it is on the battlefield, the better its position will be, stated the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in response to a question from an RBC-Ukraine correspondent before the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on Tuesday in Brussels.
When asked if NATO expects a breakthrough on the frontlines in Ukraine in the near future and what Ukraine needs to do for this, he said, "I am really careful predicting about the developments along the frontline because the wars are by nature unpredictable."
At the same time, he noted the skill and determination of Ukrainian military personnel on the battlefield, which "impressed the whole world."
"We need to remember where we started when this war, when the full-fledged invasion happened last year, we feared, and the experts believed that Ukraine would collapse within weeks and that Kyiv would be under Russian control within days," Stoltenberg reminded.
He emphasized that such a scenario did not happen. Ukraine was able to repel Russian forces in the north, east, and south, liberating about half of the territory that Russia occupied at the beginning of the war.
"This demonstrates the kills and the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. NATO Allies have delivered the president military support. I urged Allies, and I also committed to continue to deliver support," the Secretary-General said.
He pointed out that although the front line has not moved over the past year, intense fighting continues, and it should be taken into account that even though the front line has not shifted so much, "Ukraine has been able to inflict heavy losses on the Russian forces with deep strike capabilities."
"So we need to continue to support them. Also, knowing that the stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger it will be on the negotiating table. If we want a negotiated peaceful solution which ensures that Ukraine prevails as the souvenir independent nation, then the best way to get there is to continue to provide military support to Ukraine, and that is what the Allies are going to do," Stoltenberg concluded.
What the allies say about the situation on the front lines in Ukraine
Recall that earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, commenting on the "deadlock," called the problem on the battlefield in Ukraine very challenging.
In turn, Czech President Petr Pavel expressed the opinion that if the West misses the opportunity to maintain support for Ukraine, the next year maybe even more favorable for the Russian Federation.
In turn, the United States notes that they "will support Kyiv for as long as it takes" and adds that they do not push Ukraine into negotiations.
