At the end of June, the heads of the NATO countries will meet for the summit in Madrid. BILD am SONNTAG spoke to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (63).
BILD am SONNTAG: How much longer can Ukraine defend itself against Russia?
Jens Stoltenberg: “Ukrainians are bravely defending themselves against the Russian invaders. Although the fight in the Donbass is being waged by Russia with increasing brutality, the Ukrainian soldiers are putting up brave resistance. With more modern weapons, the probability increases that Ukraine will be able to drive Putin’s troops out of the Donbass again.”
Under no circumstances do Germany and the other western states want to become a party to the war. Is there a risk of escalation if NATO gets too involved?
Stoltenberg: “NATO will continue to support Ukraine in its self-defense, but is not part of the conflict. We are helping the country, but we will not send NATO soldiers to Ukraine. We have strengthened our own defenses, with 40,000 troops under NATO command. We secure the territory of the alliance on land, at sea and in the air. This is a clear message to Moscow so that there are no misunderstandings about our preparedness.”
Should we be afraid of Putin’s nuclear bombs?
Stoltenberg: “We do not see a higher level of readiness in the Russian nuclear forces. Still, Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling is dangerous and irresponsible. Putin needs to know that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be waged. Our clear signal to Russia: NATO protects all member states.”
They say we must prepare for a long war. How long will he be?
Stoltenberg: “Nobody knows. We must prepare for the fact that it could take years. We must not let up in supporting Ukraine. Even if the costs are high, not only for military support but also because of rising energy and food prices. But: That is no comparison to the price that the Ukrainians have to pay every day with many lives. And if Putin learns from this war that he can simply carry on as he did after the 2008 war in Georgia and the occupation of Crimea in 2014, then we will pay a much higher price.”
A new strategy concept is to be decided at the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June. So far, Russia has been mentioned as a “partner”. How will NATO deal with Russia in the future?
Stoltenberg: “As the world changes, so does NATO. And the world has become more dangerous. We will declare that Russia is no longer a partner, but a threat to our security, to peace and stability. China will also appear in the paper for the first time. Because China’s rise is a challenge to our interests, our values and our security.”
Photo: BILD
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/nato-chef-jens-stoltenberg-der-krieg-koennte-years-duration-7553e0af2c2348c0afe48097146d0e64-80442592/Bild/2.bild.jpg”/>
Finland and Sweden want to join NATO, Turkey has concerns. How do you clear these out?
Stoltenberg: “The membership applications are a historic moment that we must seize. Accession would not only strengthen Finland and Sweden, but all of us. Turkey is an important NATO country with strategic importance between Europe, Russia, Iraq and Syria. NATO countries, Sweden, Finland and the EU classify the PKK as a terrorist group. No NATO country has suffered as much from terror as Turkey. That is why we take Turkey’s concerns very seriously and are doing everything we can to address them. “