Stoltenberg: West to prepare for long-lasting conflict in Ukraine

The West should prepare for a long-lasting Ukrainian conflict, there is no prospect of its settlement yet – as stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in his talk with The Guardian, TASS reports

According to Mr. Stoltenberg, the Ukrainian crisis can be considered ‘a war of attrition’. He suggested that the Russian leadership ‘does not plan for peace’, noting that Western countries need to increase production capacities for the supply of new ammunition and weapons to Kiev. “The current rate of ammunition consumption is higher than the current production rate," he added.

Speaking about the events at the front, Mr. Stoltenberg said that the assistance supplied by NATO is aimed at Ukraine conducting a counteroffensive. At the same time, he once again stressed that the North Atlantic Alliance is not a party to the conflict, and military decisions are made by the Ukrainian command. The Secretary General also explained that the issue of the supply of American F-16 fighters to Ukraine has not yet been approved.   

Mr. Stoltenberg is confident that Western countries should allocate more funds for their defence, “At our summit in Vilnius in July, I expect that the allies will agree to commit to more ambitious new defence investments: at least 2 percent of their GDP.”

The NATO Secretary General also said that China's desire to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine should be accompanied by an attempt ‘to understand the Ukrainian position’ and ‘interact directly’ with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the same time, he complained that Beijing had not condemned Moscow's actions on the territory of Ukraine.

Speaking about the expiration of his term of office in September, Mr. Stoltenberg confirmed that he does not plan to remain in the post of NATO Secretary General, which he has held since 2014. "I made it clear that my term ends this autumn,” he recalled.