Stoltenberg: Just peace cannot mean freezing conflict in Ukraine
“We all want this war to end. But a just peace cannot mean freezing the conflict and accepting a deal dictated by Russia,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
He noted that the Allies face the most challenging security environment in a generation. Last year, President Putin sent hundreds of thousands of troops into Ukraine, causing death and destruction, Stoltenberg stressed.
“Ukraine has the right to liberate its own land. And a counteroffensive is now underway. The more land the Ukrainians are able to liberate, the stronger their hand will eventually be at the negotiating table. NATO is no party to the conflict. We stand by Ukraine in its right to self-defence, enshrined in the UN Charter,” NATO Secretary General said.
He commended Germany for its leading role in providing military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and the recent decision to deliver another 64 Patriot missiles to Ukraine which will save lives.
As reported, since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO and the Allies have been providing political, economic, humanitarian, and security assistance to Ukraine. Continuing and building up such assistance will be one of the main topics during NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 11-12.
