In just three months, Russia’s war in Ukraine will be two years old and it will do so with no signs, for the moment, of a truce or solution. The Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, recalled that it is Kiev that must decide “what are the acceptable ways” to end the war and that the responsibility of the allies is “to support Ukraine and allow it to liberate as much territory as possible and place it in the best possible place when negotiations begin. Wars are by nature unpredictable (but) we have not seen any signs that President Putin is planning peace; In reality, he is planning more war”, he has insisted on the eve of the foreign ministerial meeting which takes place this Tuesday and Wednesday in Brussels.
The equation in Stoltenberg’s eyes is simple: the more military support the allied countries offer to kyiv, the stronger their position will be on the battlefield and the same at the negotiating table. In any case, he recognizes that the country has achieved “great” victories and that with winter upon us we must continue supporting it. “We feared that Ukraine would collapse in a few weeks and that President (Vladimir) Putin would control kyiv in a few days. That didn’t happen, the opposite happened. That is, the expulsion of Russian troops to the north, east and south and the liberation of 50% of the territory that Russia occupied at the beginning of the war,” he added.
Despite the stalemate in war, the allied leader has emphasized that Russia has also suffered “great losses” in the form of combat capabilities, troops and personnel, and that it is increasingly “more isolated politically, and weaker economically and militarily” without having achieved its strategic objective of controlling Ukraine. “Although in recent months we have not seen any significant territorial advance, we have to remember the starting point, which was the fear that Ukraine would collapse in a few weeks,” he recalled, also underlining that Putin’s intention is not to stop. “In recent weeks, Moscow has been facilitating the arrival of migrants to the Finnish border with Russia,” he denounced, accusing Moscow of using immigration to pressure Finland and the NATO.
Accession of Ukraine
Stoltenberg, who has requested the extension of humanitarian pause in Gaza, has also highlighted support for Ukraine’s accession (once the war ends) and the aid that NATO member countries continue to send to kyiv. “This month Germany and the Netherlands have committed 10 billion euros, Romania has opened a training center for Ukrainian pilots and allies, including the US and Finland, continue to send air defenses and ammunition,” he highlighted on issues that will be examined both in the first session of the ministerial as in the NATO-Ukraine meeting with the foreign minister, Dymitro Kulebathis Wednesday.
The appointment, to which Minister José Manuel Albares attendsit will start with the preparations for the Washington summit, which will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Alliance in July 2024 in the US capital, which will discuss Ukraine, the challenge of China, the southern neighborhood and defense spending. The meeting will also be attended by Sweden although it will continue not to participate as a full member of the Alliance although its accession is, according to Stoltenberg, very close. “I am pleased that the Turkish Parliament has begun its ratification process. I hope that Türkiye and Hungary complete their ratifications as soon as possible. The time has come,” recalled the person who will say goodbye to the NATO General Secretariat next year. The Dutchman Mark Rutte has officially applied for the position, who is considered by allied sources as a “strong” and important candidate. On a personal basis, the Latvian has also shown interest Krisjanis Karins and the Estonian Kaja Kallas.