“We have to be realistic. The war can last a long time, several months or even years. And that’s why we also have to be prepared for a long journey, both in terms of supporting Ukraine , maintaining sanctions and strengthening our defences,” Jens Stoltenberg said before the start of a meeting of Alliance foreign ministers.
“We have seen no indication that Putin has changed his goal of controlling all of Ukraine,” he said.
A meeting of the G7 is scheduled at the headquarters of the Alliance on the sidelines of the NATO meeting, in the presence of the head of Japanese diplomacy Yoshimasa Hayashi. The strengthening of the sanctions imposed on Russia will be the main topic of the meeting.
“Ukraine urgently needs military support and that is why it is so important that NATO Allies agree to continue supporting Ukraine with many types of military equipment, both heavier equipment and light weapons systems”, explained Jens Stoltenberg, believing that the aid already provided had had “a real effect”.
“Wherever the date the war ends will have long-term implications for our security. Because we have seen the brutality. We have seen President Putin’s willingness to use military force to achieve his goals. And that changed the reality of security in Europe for many, many years,” he added.
“We have asked military commanders to provide options to political leaders so they can make decisions to reset the defense and deterrence capability of the Alliance,” he said.
These options will be discussed at the NATO summit on June 29 and 30 in Madrid.