NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said it was impossible to restore normal relations with Moscow There is no way back to NATO-Russia relations, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said - according to him, the end of the Ukrainian conflict will not lead to normalization either.
He called on NATO countries to increase defense spending and said that Kiev's support is "in the interests of security" of the alliance's member countries. The biggest risk, in his opinion, will not be the escalation of the conflict, but Russia's victory over Ukraine. In addition, he assessed the prospects of Kiev joining the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's support in the conflict with Russia lies "in the alliance's own security interests." He announced this during his speech at the SAMAK summit (the Cooperation Committee of the Northern Labor Movement, the Union of Social Democratic Parties and Workers' Councils in the Nordic countries) in Finland.
According to Stoltenberg, the end of the military clash in Ukraine will not improve the alliance's relations with Russia, there is "no turning back" on this issue.
The Secretary General also called on NATO members to increase spending on defense, as "security in an increasingly dangerous world requires it." The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, according to him, is not a greater risk for NATO than the victory of the Russian Federation.
"I hear concerns that our support for Ukraine increases the risk of escalation. But... there are no risk-free options now. Let no one have any doubts: the biggest risk is if President Putin wins in Ukraine," Jens Stoltenberg added.
At the same time, he called Ukraine's membership in NATO a "distant prospect."
Reaction in Russia
Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin said in his Telegram channel that the NATO Secretary General "gave a blackbird."
In his opinion, the words of Jens Stoltenberg fully reflect the NATO coordinate system within the framework of the Ukrainian issue.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, also wrote in her Telegram channel that
On February 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance's position on Ukraine's membership and the military conflict has not changed.
"NATO's position on Ukraine has remained unchanged. We have repeatedly said that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance, but now we are focused on Ukraine winning the war," Stoltenberg said.
According to the Secretary General, the only way to ensure Kiev's movement towards Euro-Atlantic cooperation is for Ukraine to continue to exist "as a sovereign and independent nation."
Stoltenberg added that the alliance is now working on a long-term basis, "helping Ukraine to switch from weapons, doctrines and standards of the Soviet era to NATO standards."
On the same day, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that NATO countries would not enter into a confrontation with Russia, but would provide assistance to Kiev as much as needed.
"We will not be involved, but we will never give up on fulfilling the main task of NATO, which is to protect the citizens of this great alliance on their territory," Austin said.
What they say in Europe
On February 25, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria Heinz-Christian Strache made a speech in Dresden in which he condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, and accused his native country of diluting its neutral status.
He stressed that arms supplies to Ukraine could eventually lead to an escalation of the conflict with Russia and its spread to Europe.
Strache recalled the words of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that "the West is not ready for peace."
At the end of his speech, the politician called for the formation of a pan-European peace movement.
On the same day, the co-chair of the Left Party of Germany, Janine Wissler, called for the dissolution of NATO and its replacement with a "collective security system". Wissler believes that even in the conditions of the current conflict in Ukraine, the criticism of the North Atlantic Alliance from the party is not outdated.
According to her, the integration of all major countries into a single system is necessary for stable security. In addition, she accused NATO of waging wars contrary to international law.
On February 24, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany's support for Ukraine exceeds €14 billion. At the same time, the country intends to do everything possible to avoid an escalation of the conflict between Russia and NATO.
"I understand that some are worried about this, questioning our decisions. That is why it is so important to adhere to the principle that we have been guided by from the very beginning: everything we do takes place in close coordination with our partners and allies," the head of the German government said.
Peter Nikolaev
