Jens Stoltenberg at the Munich Security Conference (AFP)
Russia and Ukraine
On the second day of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, NATO Secretary General Jens Stollenberg called on member states to double military support to Ukraine. He said: We must double our support for Kiev, because Russian President Vladimir Putin is not preparing for peace, but for more attacks.
He also added in his speech on Saturday: “Putin mobilizes thousands of soldiers and is communicating with Iran and North Korea to obtain weapons.”
In addition, he considered that some countries feared that additional weapons would lead to further escalation, but he saw, “Nothing is without risks, and the world should not allow Putin to win. He said:” What is happening in Europe today can happen in Asia tomorrow.
authoritarian regimes
He also stressed the importance of the cohesion of the alliance at the present time, considering that membership in NATO should be expanded.
And he believed that “the Russian invasion of Ukraine revealed the dangers of Europe’s excessive dependence on authoritarian regimes (referring to Russia), considering that the Russian-Ukrainian war should serve as a lesson, according to what was reported by AFP.
From the Munich Security Conference (AFP)
Putin’s imperial plans
In turn, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called in her speech to the conference to “doubled efforts to accelerate military support for the Ukrainian forces in order to help them repel the Russian invasion.” “We must continue the massive support needed to defeat Vladimir Putin’s imperialist designs,” she said, stressing that “it is time to accelerate because Ukraine needs equipment to ensure its survival.”
“Russia is weak”
As for US Vice President Kamala Harris, she considered in her speech that the NATO alliance has become strong, while Russia has become weak.
Moscow has also been accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine, stressing that war criminals will not escape punishment.
From the opening of the Munich Security Conference yesterday (AFP)
She affirmed her country’s continued support for Kiev, saying: “We cannot allow Putin to win.”
In addition, it considered that China had been involved with Russia since the beginning of the war.
A week before the war
It is noteworthy that this international conference, held in Munich, comes a week before the anniversary of the twenty-fourth of February 2022, when Russia launched its military operation against its western neighbor last year.
And while the words and discussions of the two meetings are dominated by the Ukrainian file, it will naturally give way to US-Chinese tension and Beijing’s relations with Western countries, in addition to other files that concern the world, such as energy and others.
