The war in Gaza should not lead to a weakening of the will and the ability of allies to support Ukraine, stated NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg during the meeting of the North Council in Oslo on October 31st.
He noted that there are no signs that Russia plans for peace and, to the contrary, intends to continue the war.
"Therefore, we must continue to support Ukraine. This means more weapons. And I say this because I want peace in Ukraine. President Putin can stop the war today by ceasing to attack his neighbor. Ukraine does not have that option. If Ukraine stops defending itself, they will be occupied. Occupation is not peace," Stoltenberg emphasized.
He pointed out that Ukrainians are fighting with bravery and determination, but courage does not stop bombs, and determination does not intercept rockets.
"This is what weapons do. High-quality and in large quantities. Tanks, air defense, fighters, and ammunition," he added.
He once again referred to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a strategic mistake by the Kremlin.
"Russia has lost. It has lost tens of thousands of soldiers. It has lost a significant amount of military equipment. And it has lost political influence, becoming increasingly isolated. The invasion of Ukraine is a strategic defeat for Russia," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated. He emphasized that the stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger it will be at the negotiating table.
He also noted that all NATO countries agree that Ukraine should become a member of the alliance, and during the summit in Vilnius, allies made three important decisions to facilitate this.
"First, we eliminated one of the two stages of the membership process. We dropped the PfP requirement, thus significantly shortening the path. Second, we established an entirely new political platform: the "Ukraine-NATO Council," where we meet as equals for consultations and decision-making. And third, we adopted a comprehensive package ensuring full interaction between Ukrainian forces and NATO," the Secretary-General mentioned.
Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that investing in Ukraine's security is also an investment in the security of the allies.
"If Putin wins in Ukraine, it will be a tragedy for the Ukrainians. But it's also dangerous for us. It will make us more vulnerable. The message to Putin and other authoritarian leaders will be this: if they use military force, they will get what they want," Stoltenberg concluded.
