Invasion of Ukraine was major strategic defeat for Putin - Stoltenberg
One of the reasons for the invasion of Ukraine was Vladimir Putin’s indisposition for Ukraine to become a member of NATO. In return, however, he gained more NATO presence in the eastern part of the alliance and two new members, Finland and Sweden, a major strategic defeat for Putin.
As reported by Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski in Skopje.
"One of the reasons why President Putin started the war against Ukraine was his reluctance for Ukraine to become a member of NATO. He wanted even more – for the Alliance to give guarantees not to expand further and to withdraw all its forces from the eastern part of NATO. Putin got the exact opposite: a greater NATO presence in the eastern part of the Alliance and two new members – Finland and Sweden (after the ratification of the accession protocol was completed – Ed.). So this is a major strategic defeat for President Putin. This once again demonstrates that it was his big mistake to invade Ukraine," the head of the Alliance said.
He noted that NATO allies consistently send a meaningful message to Russia that the country should refrain from aggressive actions against its neighbors and definitely stop military aggression against Ukraine. According to the Secretary General of NATO, Russia must respect international law and the right of each state to choose its own path of development and security.
"We welcome the support that North Macedonia and other NATO allies continue to provide to Ukraine. We have new announcements today from Germany and from the United States about providing more military assistance to Ukraine. So we will continue to support Ukraine in its right to self-defense against Russian aggression," Stoltenberg added.
He noted that NATO does not currently see an immediate threat from Russia to any NATO ally or to its regions, but remains vigilant and continues to closely monitor all actions of the Kremlin. In particular, NATO has increased its military presence in the Western Balkans region, deployed its headquarters in Sarajevo and a liaison office in Belgrade, and is ready to rapidly strengthen its forces to protect and defend any ally in the Alliance if necessary.
