NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Photo: EPA).
"We should also be prepared for bad news. The conflict develops in stages, but we must support Ukraine in good times and bad times," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on December 2 when asked if he was concerned that the situation in Ukraine would worsen in the future.
Mr. Stoltenberg stressed that it was important to increase the production of ammunition supplied to Ukraine. On the other hand, he admitted that NATO could not meet the growing demand from Kiev.
He said Ukraine was in a difficult situation, but did not specify what Kiev should do. "I will leave these difficult decisions to the Ukrainian people and the military commanders," he said.
He also commented on the challenges facing the European defense industry. “One of the issues we need to address is the fragmentation of the European defense industry,” the NATO chief noted.
The NATO chief said this was in the interests of Europe and would help create jobs. He said it was important not to let ammunition prices rise when demand was already high.
According to him, there have been no significant developments on the Ukrainian battlefield in the past few months. He declined to predict what might happen next. "Wars are unpredictable. But we know that the more we support Ukraine, the faster the conflict will end," he said.
He previously warned that Russia was stockpiling large numbers of missiles in preparation for a large-scale winter offensive aimed at destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He also warned that Ukraine and the West should not underestimate Russia’s capabilities.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has dragged on for nearly two years and shows no signs of ending. Ukraine's Chief of the General Staff Valery Zaluzhny said last month that the war was at a stalemate, with neither side likely to make a breakthrough in the near future without a technological breakthrough.
Although Russian and Ukrainian leaders have both denied that the battle has reached a stalemate, it has led to speculation that Western allies are trying to pressure Kiev into negotiating with Moscow.
On the US side, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown Jr. said on December 2 that the Russia-Ukraine conflict cannot be ended with a purely military solution.
"You can't solve any conflict by military means alone, it has to be a diplomatic solution . I can't predict the future of this conflict, but I think we can help shape it by continuing to support Ukraine, helping them build their capacity," said Charles Brown Jr.
He added that he is in regular contact with Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny to follow the situation.
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