NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a security conference in Selene (Sweden) on January 8 that if the war in Ukraine ends, problems in relations between the Alliance and Russia will remain. He added that the security situation in Europe "has changed forever."
"Regardless of when and how this war ends, we must recognize that the security situation in Europe has changed forever. The regime in Moscow wants a different Europe. It wants to control neighboring countries, and sees democracy and freedom as a threat. This puts Russia in a situation of permanent confrontation with the West. Therefore, even if this war ends, problems in our relations with Russia will remain," he said.
Stoltenberg noted that NATO and its allies make a significant contribution to Ukraine, including providing weapons, equipment and organizing military exercises. He noted that the victory of the Russian dictator in the war against Ukraine is dangerous not only for the country, but also for the Alliance.
"If Putin wins in Ukraine, it will be a tragedy for Ukrainians. But it is also dangerous for us. The message to him and other authoritarian leaders will be that if they use military force, they will get what they want. It will make us more vulnerable." . . There will be no stable world if tyranny and tyranny prevail over freedom and democracy," said the Secretary General.
According to him, it is dangerous to underestimate Russia. He noted that Ukrainian fighters inflicted heavy losses on the aggressor country, but the occupiers "once again demonstrated their willingness to take great risks and suffer great human losses." Stoltenberg reported that they had already mobilized 200,000 additional troops.
So far, there are no signs that Russia's ambitions have changed, the Secretary General of the Alliance concluded.