“If Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk that his aggression will not stop there. Our support is not charity. It is an investment in our own security,” explained the Secretary General. “The only way to achieve a just and lasting solution is to convince President Putin that they (Russian forces) will not win on the battlefield,” Stoltenberg said.
Therefore, the NATO Secretary General once again reminded that it is important to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.
What Stoltenberg said came at a time when, due to internal political maneuvers in the United States and the European Union (EU), the determination to continue helping Ukraine has weakened. Meanwhile, Russia’s president said at his annual press conference on Thursday that his troops on Ukraine’s front lines were mostly moving forward.
“The condition of our troops throughout the territory is improving,” Putin claimed.
Despite receiving arms and ammunition from its allies, Ukraine has been unable to make significant breakthroughs against entrenched Russian positions in recent months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi warned European leaders on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use any setback to his advantage if no agreement is reached to start negotiations on his country’s EU membership.
“People in Europe will not see any benefit if Moscow gets permission from Brussels to move forward, feeling the negative attitude towards Ukraine. Putin will definitely use it against you personally and against all of Europe,” Zelensky said at the EU summit via video call.
CONTEXT:
Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked large-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, the Kremlin’s propaganda brazenly promised to capture Kyiv in three days, but the selfless and strong resistance of the Ukrainians prevented the Kremlin from realizing its plans.
After the setbacks, the Kremlin withdrew the army from the Kyiv region, but continued the offensive in other regions. In the fall of 2022, the Ukrainian army managed to liberate Kharkiv region and part of Kherson region in successful operations, raising hopes for the possibility of defeating the enemy.
However, the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in the summer of 2023 was not so successful, which the Ukrainian army explains both by the insufficient supply of weapons from the Western allies and by the deep defense line and extensive minefields created by the Russian army. Now there are reports that a war of positions has begun at the front with exhausting battles and preparations must be made for long-term support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia regularly attacks civilian objects and is expected to target energy infrastructure like last winter.
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2023-12-14 12:56:28
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