The Russian leadership is preparing for a long war in Ukraine, so all NATO member states that support Kiev should continue supplying the Ukrainian military with weapons until Putin realizes that he is unable to win on the battlefield. This was stated by the secretary general of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, to Agence France-Presse.
“We must not underestimate Russia, it is planning a long war,” said the NATO chief.
According to him, there are still no signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin has given up on his goal of gaining control of Ukraine.
“We see that they are mobilizing more forces, they are ready to make many sacrifices, they are trying to get more weapons and ammunition,” Stoltenberg added.
Against this background, he expressed his belief that Putin is ready to continue the war with new offensive operations.
NATO allies, led by the United States, have sent billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, and this has helped Kiev change its position in the fighting, notes Ukrinform.
“Most likely, this war will end up at the negotiating table, like most wars,” Stoltenberg said. At the same time, he stressed that any decision must guarantee “the superiority of Ukraine as a sovereign and independent state”. The fastest way to achieve this is to support Ukraine with arms “so that Putin understands that he cannot win on the battlefield and must sit down and negotiate in good faith.”
