NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Tuesday for the Gaza war not to weaken the “will and ability” of the members of the Atlantic Alliance to support Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, we cannot choose to address only one crisis at a time,” said Stoltenberg in a speech to the Norwegian Parliament, which is currently hosting the 75th session of the Nordic Council (interparliamentary organization) in Oslo.
“Another winter is approaching and we must expect new attacks on energy supplies and other essential infrastructure,” the official said, referring to Ukraine and adding that everything indicates that Russia is preparing for “more war” and not peace.
The Secretary General of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Western defense bloc) therefore urged member states to continue arming Ukraine with an arsenal “of high quality and in large quantities”, so that Kiev can reinforce its position at the negotiating table.
Furthermore, when the war ends, it is necessary to ensure “that history does not repeat itself,” which is why “all NATO countries agree that Ukraine should become a member of the organization,” he added.
Stoltenberg also warned that China is “following developments closely” and that “what is happening now in Europe could happen tomorrow in East Asia,” referring to a possible future invasion of Taiwan.
According to the head of the Atlantic Alliance, dependence on imports from China makes countries “vulnerable” and when negotiating with Beijing we must avoid making “the same mistake” that was made with Russia.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Stoltenberg stressed the importance of the war not becoming a large-scale conflict due to the intervention of Iran and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.
He also reiterated his condemnation of the unprecedented attack by the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas against Israel on October 7, but stressed that it is important that the Israeli response “be carried out within the framework of international law” and that it be They protect the lives of civilians.
Source: TSF
