NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would not end anytime soon, urging everyone to prepare for a long war.
He noted that most wars last longer than what people expect them to last during the time that they began. The NATO chief's remarks came during an interview with Germany's Funke media group published on Sunday. Stoltenberg said that people should be prepared for a long war in Ukraine.
NATO Chief Warns of "Long War" Between Russia and Ukraine
Stoltenberg said that while everyone wants quick peace, they must also recognize that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people stop fighting, their country will most likely cease to exist. On the other hand, he claims that if Russian President Vladimir Putin stops, then there will be peace.
The remarks come as the head of Ukraine's Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said that the only way to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is if Kyiv's allies speed up weapons deliveries. He argued that refusal or denial of the transfer of modern weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces is a direct encouragement to the Kremlin to continue its invasion, as per Politico.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has continued its counteroffensive against Russia, conducting drone attacks that targeted Crimea and Moscow on Sunday. The alleged attacks disrupted air traffic and caused a fire at an oil depot.
The regional governor said that a Ukrainian drone damaged an oil depot on Sunday in southwestern Russia, which sparked a fire at a fuel tank that officials later extinguished. Officials reported another drone was downed in Russia's Voronezh region.
Russian missiles on Sunday also struck an agriculture facility located in Ukraine's Odesa region, said Kyiv's military. On the other hand, two cargo ships arrived at a Ukrainian port after traveling through the Black Sea via a new route.
The NATO chief also addressed the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine. He said that Putin's nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and ruthless but ensured that NATO is prepared for every threat and challenge, according to CNN.
Moscow's Growing Concern
Stoltenberg reiterated that it was only a matter of time before Ukraine joined the global military alliance. He said that Kyiv would join NATO as was made clear by all ally members, adding that the region would need safety guarantees when the war finally ends, warning that otherwise, history could repeat itself.
The NATO chief also said that they have sent a clear message to Russia: a nuclear war cannot be won and must never happen in the first place. He said that Moscow needs to understand that using such dangerous weapons is unacceptable.
On Sunday, the British Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on Russia's war on Ukraine that the former is "likely" reinforcing its defenses around the occupied town of Tokmak located in the southern parts of Ukraine.
It is located 16 kilometers from the front line, and it is being outfitted to become what is known as a "lynchpin" of Moscow's second main line of defenses. Officials said that attention to the town's defenses most likely indicates that Russia has a growing concern regarding Ukrainian tactical penetrations of the main defensive line to the north, said the Voice of America News.
