NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that the Western military alliance should be prepared for bad news from the Ukrainian front, POLITICO reports.
Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview Saturday with German broadcaster ARD:
Wars develop in phases. We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times. We should also be prepared for bad news.
His comments came amid controversy among Western allies over the provision of military and financial aid to Ukraine, as well as an increase in the number of Russian troops. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to increase the number of troops by about 170,000 to 1.3 million.
Despite Kyiv’s counter-offensive in the summer, the front line has barely advanced in recent months. Stoltenberg said in an interview:
These are big victories even though they haven’t been able to move the front line.
Stoltenberg urged NATO members to increase munitions production, lamenting the fragmented state of Europe’s defence industry. He urged governments to look beyond their national interests and pay attention to the bigger picture:
We’re not able to work as closely together as we should.
A Ukrainian defeat would be a tragedy not only for Ukrainians, but would also pose a danger to the rest of the allies, Stoltenberg said. He noted:
The more we support the Ukraine, the faster the war will end.
