Speaking at the NATO Youth Summit, Jens Stoltenberg explained that NATO allies are preparing to provide support for Ukraine “over a long period of time” because “there is a possibility that this war will drag on for months and years.”
He stressed that besides providing military support, the NATO countries will continue to put diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia and its leader President Vladimir Putin because it is him “who started the war and he can end the war tomorrow.”
Reaffirming his previous remarks, Stoltenberg said that NATO allies welcome Finland and Sweden “with open arms” if they decided to join the military alliance.
He underlined that Sweden’s and Finland’s membership would strengthen the Euro-Atlantic security because both countries are “strong, mature democracies” and “NATO’s closest partners” with whom NATO has worked together in many joint exercises, missions, and operations.
