NATO Secretary General: This is a war of attrition
Jens Stoltenberg ,
KYIV. UkraineGate , 26 , May ,2022 | Political News.
No one can say for sure when and how the war between Russia and Ukraine will end. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with Rzeczpospolita .
Quote
“Vladimir Putin made a big strategic mistake. He planned to achieve his goals within a week. Now is the 13th week of the war, and Russian troops are driven out of Kiev, Kharkiv and the north. However, wars are unpredictable. And no one can to say with confidence when and how this war will end, “Stoltenberg said.
Details
The NATO Secretary General noted “the courage and professionalism of Ukrainian soldiers, the political leadership led by President Zelensky and ordinary Ukrainians.” “This, combined with the unprecedented military support of NATO allies and partners, has made it possible to counter the Russian invasion,” he added.
Stoltenberg noted that the Alliance now has two tasks: to support Ukraine and to prevent escalation.
“NATO’s first task is to provide support, and in the long run. That is why I call on allies to replenish their reserves. Because this is more and more a war of attrition,” he said.
“The second task is to prevent escalation. (…) The war in Ukraine is disgusting, brutal. We see civilian casualties, bombing, destruction, destruction of cities. But if it escalates into a full-scale war between NATO and Russia, it will cause much greater We are obliged to behave in a way that does not lead to escalation, and we do so in part by explaining that we support Ukraine but NATO is not involved in the war. UN Charter, “he said.
Asked how NATO’s military methods prevent escalation, the secretary general said, “by significantly increasing the military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.”
“NATO’s presence on the eastern flank will be discussed at the Madrid summit in June during the discussion of a new strategic concept. Eastern European countries would like this presence to be permanent, not rotational, as it is now. (…) I expect the Madrid summit NATO leaders will agree to increase their presence on the eastern flank and in the Black Sea region, “Stoltenberg said.
According to him, it is not only about more troops, but also about what are called “activators”: “air defense, artillery, pre-installed equipment, supplies and, of course, the possibility of rapid reinforcement.”
Addition
The NATO Secretary General believes that the war is likely to end at the negotiating table. The question is when and how
Source: Ukrgate
