Europe should be prepared for a decade of war in Ukraine. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with the BBC, UNN reports.
Details
Stoltenberg, whose 10-year term as secretary general ends in October, said that Ukraine and the allies should be prepared for the war to drag on for up to a decade, but that the "paradox" of the situation is that the more convincing the Western military alliance is, the faster a settlement will be reached.
He called on European NATO members to step up their commitments amid fears that U.S. funding could be reduced or even cut off if Donald Trump wins a second term as U.S. president in the November election.
He answered in the affirmative to the question of whether NATO allies should be prepared to drag out the conflict in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than 10 years, for another decade.
But the main message is that the stronger the support for Ukraine and the more confident we are in making commitments, the sooner this war can end. The paradox is that right now Putin thinks he can wait us out. That is why the war continues. When we make it very clear that we are here for the long haul, that we have strong and lasting support for Ukraine, then we will have the conditions for a solution in which Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent state
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He also commented on the creation of a NATO command unit in Germany, which will coordinate support for Ukraine starting in September.
This will provide greater predictability, accountability and support, and demonstrate our continued commitment to Ukraine. The time has come to stand up for freedom and democracy, and that place is Ukraine
Recall
Jens Stoltenberg has served as NATO Secretary General for 10 years and will step down in October this year. He will be replaced by former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.