Stoltenberg: Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before

according to the report of Tasnim news international group, Jens Stoltenberg In a conversation with the German Radio website, NATO Secretary General saw Ukraine on a safe path to NATO membership and once again warned against underestimating Russia.

Emphasizing his determination to bring Ukraine into NATO, he said at the same time that he could not say exactly when the country would be accepted. He only said: But we are working hard to ensure that this happens as soon as possible. He also said: “We know that Ukraine is closer to membership than ever before.” On the status of neutrality and what the consequences could be, he said: Well, first of all, I believe it depends on each country whether they want to join an alliance or not. It’s an independent decision that I respect, no matter how it looks. But what we are seeing in Europe is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to remain neutral as a country between Russia and an increasingly aggressive NATO. That is why more countries have applied for membership and have been accepted; Only during my term of office, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Finland and now Sweden have become members of this coalition.

Carrying the white flag said: Surrender does not mean peace. Surrender for Ukraine means occupation. This war can end in three ways: President Putin, who started the war, can end it today. Ukraine can stop defending itself – this is not peace, it will be surrender. The third option is a negotiated solution. But if we want a negotiated solution that preserves Ukraine as an independent country, we need to make it clear to Putin that he will not achieve his goals on the battlefield, but rather negotiate a lasting peace with Ukraine. In order to achieve such a solution, we must provide military support to Ukraine. It is impossible, so Russia holds the keys to this matter and is this true? He said: We cannot accept that Russia decides on a country’s membership in NATO. In this case, we violate a basic principle that each country can determine its own path.

The Secretary General of NATO stated in another part of this conversation: We should not underestimate Russia, I have said this for a long time, because we see what a high price they are willing to pay. The answer, of course, is that we need to do more, because if Putin wins in Ukraine, that means it’s worth breaking international law and conquering other countries.

He further said in response to the question whether NATO is prepared for the new term of Trump’s presidency in America. : NATO is a coalition of 32 democracies and various politicians have been elected during this time. There have always been differences of opinion on both sides of the Atlantic. But I expect that the United States will continue to be a reliable member. Because a strong NATO is useful not only for the Europeans but also for the United States. Rather, it was allies who were not investing enough in NATO, and this trend has fundamentally changed. Germany, as well as many other allies, now spends two percent of GDP on defense, so the situation is very different from four years ago.

Stoltenberg in The final part of this conversation about what advice he gives to his successor, he said: The most important thing is to maintain unity. He considered it a privilege that he worked as the Secretary General of NATO in a turbulent time.

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