Jens Stoltenberg noted that before sitting at the negotiating table, Ukraine must achieve military success, and then decide what conditions are acceptable to it.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin understands the only language – the unity of Western allies and strength. In this context, he commented on the possibility of a military operation to de-occupy Crimea and noted that Ukraine itself will decide how to restore its territorial integrity and when to sit down at the negotiating table. The NATO Secretary General spoke about this on March 1 in an interview with the Lithuanian TV channel LRT.
Stoltenberg’s interlocutor asked about the means to restore the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine and specifically the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula. The Secretary General of the Alliance responded that the best solution to achieve peace is military support for Ukraine, since the negotiation process is inextricably linked to what happens on the battlefield.
“Ultimately, the war must end at the negotiating table, and then the Ukrainians will have to decide what the terms of the negotiations are and what they can accept. Our task is to support Ukraine, because we know that what happens at the negotiating table is inseparable from what what is happening on the battlefield,” Stoltenberg said.
According to him, the task of the Western allies is to provide military assistance for Ukraine to achieve success at the front, after which Kyiv will decide for itself what negotiation terms are acceptable to it.
Stoltenberg added that Russia is constantly preparing for an even bigger war, mobilizing in order to go on a new offensive. Therefore, the allies will continue to provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine so that they push back the Russian invaders.
“I’m afraid that the only language that President Putin understands is our unity and strength. It is for this reason that we must stick together,” the Secretary General stressed.
Recall, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 28 that the end of the war in Ukraine would not lead to the normalization of relations between the West and the Russian Federation. He stressed that in relations between the Alliance member states and Russia “there is no turning back.”
Former Commander-in-Chief of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Hodges, on February 27, expressed the opinion that the Ukrainian army would be able to conduct a successful counteroffensive and liberate Crimea as early as 2023. To do this, the Armed Forces of Ukraine need to strike at enemy targets in the rear using long-range weapons.
