NATO Secretary General asked on Tuesday that allies maintain military support for Kiev so that a negotiated solution to the war in Ukraine can be reached.
“If we want a negotiated solution, the way to get there is through military support to Ukraine,” Jens Stoltenberg said upon arrival at the meeting of European Union (EU) defense ministers in Brussels.
Stoltenberg will speak at the meeting about protecting critical infrastructure.
Ukraine has relied on support from Western allies in armaments to fight Russian forces since it was invaded by Moscow on February 24, 2022.
The outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas shifted attention to the Middle East and raised fears of declining allied support for Ukraine.
Stoltenberg said no one can say how and when the conflict in Ukraine will end, but he believed that the likelihood of an “acceptable negotiation outcome” increases the greater the military support for Kiev.
The Norwegian politician argued that the only way to reach an acceptable solution for Ukraine is to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will not win on the battlefield.
“And the only way to do this is by strengthening Ukraine’s military capacity and supporting the country,” he said, as quoted by Spanish agency EFE.
The head of NATO (English acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) emphasized that it is up to Kiev to decide on the acceptable terms for negotiations with Russia and what are the acceptable conditions for any agreement.
But he believed that responsibility towards Ukraine is also in the interests of Western allies.
“Show that we support the rule of law and international law and that we help Ukraine wage a war of aggression,” he said.
Stoltenberg said heavy fighting continues in Ukraine and the battlefield situation is difficult, making it even more important to maintain and increase support for Ukraine.
“We cannot allow President Putin to win. Ukraine must prevail as a sovereign and independent nation in Europe. It is in our interest to support Ukraine,” he explained.
Regarding the production of ammunition needed by the Allies and for donations to Ukraine, he stated that NATO countries are increasing production and that the Alliance is cooperating with the defense industry.
He said the October incident, which damaged an underwater gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and internet cables, serves as a warning about “the fragility and importance of this type of infrastructure.”
He said NATO has strengthened naval patrols, naval patrol aircraft and “drones” (unmanned aerial vehicles) to “increase the allied presence in the Baltic and North Seas.”
“We are also creating a new center within our maritime command in the United Kingdom to better coordinate allied efforts to work with partners, with the European Union, but also with the private sector,” he said .
The aim is to “better share information and increase our activities to protect critical underwater infrastructure,” he added.
Source: DN
