More weapons to Ukraine only way to negotiated peace, says NATO chief

Kyiv needs military support in order for Moscow to not force its terms, says Stoltenberg

LONDON:

NATO’s position on Ukraine has not changed, and the alliance is still supporting the idea of having Ukraine as a member state, said the alliance chief during a speech at a World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says their main focus right now is to support Ukraine, ensuring that Kyiv wins the war and prevails as a sovereign, independent democratic nation in Europe.

The war in Ukraine will likely end around the negotiating table and what happens around there is totally dependent on the strength of the battlefield, says Stoltenberg.

“If we want a negotiated peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine, we need to provide military support to Ukraine. That's the only way,” he said.

“Weapons are the way to peace. And that may sound like a paradox, but the only way to have a negotiated agreement is to convince President Putin that he will not win on the battlefield. He has to sit down and negotiate.”

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The NATO chief also says the NATO allies will provide heavier weapons to Ukraine.

“It is extremely important that President Putin doesn't win this war. Partly because it will be a tragedy for Ukrainians, but it will be very dangerous for all of us,” Stoltenberg said

A Russian victory, he warned, would set an example to other authoritarian states, making them believe that “when they use brutal force, when they violate international law, they achieve what they want.”

On Sweden and Finland’s NATO accession bids, Stoltenberg said he’s confident that Türkiye will finalize the accession process of the two countries, which sought membership after Russia started its war on Ukraine.

Ankara is demanding these Nordic countries do more on the fight against terrorism in order for it to ratify their accession. The negotiations are still continuing, as Türkiye expects concrete actions from Stockholm and Helsinki.