(Brussels) The large-scale bombardments carried out on Monday by the Russian army in Ukraine are “a sign of weakness” from Moscow, which is losing the battle on the ground, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.
Posted at 10:44 a.m.
“Russia is increasingly resorting to horrific and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference. “What we saw yesterday (Monday) is a sign of weakness, because Russia is losing on the battlefield” and these bombardments “reflect President Vladimir Putin’s lack of alternatives”, he said. he adds.
PHOTO HANDOUT, AGENCY FRANCE-PRESSE
NATO is ready to face any attack against one of its members and the Alliance’s Defense Ministers will take decisions during their meeting on Wednesday and Thursday “to increase our stocks of ammunition and equipment in order to strengthen our defense and be able to continue delivering arms to Ukraine, because we have to prepare for a long war,” he said.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov will attend the meeting of the US-led Ukraine Contact Group and the NATO ministers’ working dinner, he said.
“It will be an opportunity to discuss Ukraine’s armament needs and to see to what extent the allies can provide them,” Jens Stoltenberg stressed.
Ukraine has an “urgent” need for air defense systems. Germany and the United States have made announcements for the supply of such equipment and their ammunition and “I look forward to further deliveries”, he said.
Discussions will also focus on critical infrastructure protection.
“After the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, we doubled our presence in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea with over 30 ships, maritime patrol aircraft and submarine capabilities,” he announced.
Jens Stoltenberg once again warned Russia against the use of nuclear weapons.
“Russia knows that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought,” he insisted.
“We closely monitor Russian nuclear forces. We have seen no change in Russia’s position. But we remain vigilant,” he said.
NATO will conduct a long-planned deterrence exercise, “Steadfast Noon,” “next week.”
“This is routine training, which takes place every year and canceling it would be a bad signal” addressed to Russia, he argued.