The secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has expressed his concern that the fighting in Ukraine could spiral out of control and escalate into a war between Russia and the alliance.
“The alliance will not enter into a direct confrontation with Russia,” Jens Stoltenberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK, adding: “If things go wrong, they can go terribly wrong,” according to an interview published on Friday.
He added: “The war in Ukraine could turn into an all-out war that will turn into a big war between NATO and Russia. We are working on this topic every day to avoid it.”
And he added: “There is no doubt that an all-out war is a possibility”, stressing that it is important to avoid a conflict that “involves several countries in Europe and turns into an all-out war in Europe”. the Associated Press.
“Europe’s future is going through fateful moments and Ukraine’s continued support is important,” he added.
In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated on Friday that the West’s desire to maintain its hegemony on the global scene is responsible for the increased risk of a possible conflict.
He added: “The chances of conflict in the world are increasing and there are direct repercussions for the Western elite’s attempts to maintain its political, financial, military and ideological hegemony by all means,” according to Reuters.