2023-09-17 03:01:27
The conflict in Ukraine is expected to continue. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warns that we should not expect a rapid end to the war, in an interview published this Sunday, at a time when the Ukrainian army is engaged in a counter-offensive to repel Russian forces.
“Most wars last longer than was anticipated when they started,” he emphasizes in this interview with the German media group Funke. “Therefore we must prepare for a long war in Ukraine.”
The limited results of the counter-offensive
The war began in February 2022, when Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian army has been carrying out a counter-offensive since June to push back Russian forces in the South and East, but this operation has only made it possible to recapture a limited number of localities.
“We all want a quick peace,” says Jens Stoltenberg. “But at the same time we must recognize (this): if President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.” On the other hand, “if President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia lay down their arms, we will have peace.”
As for Ukraine’s wish to join NATO, Jens Stoltenberg assures: “There is no doubt that sooner or later Ukraine will be in NATO.” kyiv moved closer to NATO during the alliance’s summit in July, he explains. “When this war ends, we will need security guarantees for Ukraine. Otherwise, history could repeat itself,” he warns.
At the NATO summit in Vilnius, alliance leaders agreed that Ukraine could join NATO once certain conditions are met, with U.S. and German leaders stressing that among those conditions are reforms to protect the democracy and the rule of law.
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