NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg has warned that there will not be a swift end to the war in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the full scale war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, Transatlantic military alliance, NATO has supported Ukraine with billions economically, militarily and politically.
Ukraine has made joining NATO it’s long term goal, but the Bloc says the war must end before Ukraine is admitted into the alliance.
‘Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin,’ the NATO chief said in an interview with Germany’s Funke media group.
‘Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.
‘We are all wishing for a quick peace,’ Stoltenberg added.
‘But at the same time, we must recognize: if President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist. If President Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace,’ he said.
Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in June, pushing back against entrenched Russian positions in the south and east, but it has made limited gains.
‘We are all wishing for a quick peace,’ said Stoltenberg.
‘But at the same time we must recognise: if President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist.
‘If President (Vladimir) Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace.’
On Ukraine’s ambitions to join the alliance, Stoltenberg said: ‘There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO.’
Kyiv had ‘moved closer to NATO’ at a summit of the alliance in July, he said.
‘When this war ends, we need security guarantees for Ukraine. Otherwise, history could repeat itself,’ he added.
