NATO chief: Europe now paying the price of supporting Ukraine
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NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announces that although it's necessary to provide continuous assistance to Ukraine, Europe will face the consequences - one being a harsh winter ahead.
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NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg (NATO.int)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with German TV broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday that it was crucial to continue providing assistance to Ukraine, however, he admitted that it would be tough and that Europe would pay a price for its support to Kiev.
"What we are seeing is unprecedented support from NATO’s European allies, Germany, Canada, the United States, and many other countries around the world. I took part in [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky's Crimea Platform [forum] today - and the message sent there by all the leaders present was clear: we stand behind Ukraine and we will support it as long as it is necessary. This is the message from the NATO allies," Stoltenberg commented to ZDF.
A rough winter ahead
As a result, Stoltenberg warned that the coming winter would be tough. "We will pay a price for our support to Ukraine as a consequence of the sanctions and of course the fact that Russia uses energy as a weapon, but we must understand that there is no alternative to our support", he stated in the interview.
In a statement, Russian gas giant Gazprom said that "We would like to note, that on spot exchanges in Europe, gas prices have surpassed the figure of $2,500. According to conservative estimates, if the trend continues, prices will exceed $4,000 per 1,000 cubic meters in winter".
It could take years to support Ukraine, but there will be consequences, Stoltenberg advised, "not only in the military sphere but also for industries. We need to increase production.
"As NATO, we have two roles: we must support Ukraine, a close partner. The other task is to make sure" there is no escalation, he warned.
Weapon supplies pumped from every side
However, Stoltenberg said providing military aid to Kiev was not easy, adding: "I'm not saying it's easy. It requires hard work. I am committed to working with other Alliance leaders in Europe and North America to ensure that we continue to secure support." He pointed to Germany’s significant contribution there and said hopefully the German government would do more.
The trend of delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine and other countries, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in reference to NATO arming eastern European countries, threatens the security of the European continent. NATO allies have poured at least $8 billion in military aid to Ukraine, with the alliance to continue the support, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed at the end of April.
In April as well, Stoltenberg said that the bloc is preparing to support Ukraine "for a long time," for the duration of the military conflict with Russia, even if it drags on "for months and years." Stoltenberg went on to say that NATO and its allies “are preparing to provide support over a long period of time and also help Ukraine to transit or move from old Soviet-era equipment to more modern NATO-standard weapons and systems.”
The US Pentagon announced in July a package from a series of security assistance for Ukraine worth $820 million that includes two advanced surface-to-air missile systems and four additional counter-artillery radars in light of the war in Ukraine. Nonetheless, Ukrainian finance minister Sergey Marchenko has asked the United States for at least $2 billion per month in "emergency economic aid" in April.
Countries in Europe have been advocating their support of Ukraine through heavy amounts of weapon supplies continuously. Sweden in June announced additional aid of one billion kronor ($102 million, 95 million euros) to Ukraine, consisting of both financial aid and military equipment including anti-ship missiles and anti-tank launchers.
Spain was preparing to deliver in June heavy weapons to Ukraine, including anti-aircraft missiles and around 40 Leopard 2A4 tanks. Madrid is also planning to train Ukrainian troops to use them, according to the El Pais newspaper. Germany continues to transfer weaponry to Ukraine, including new equipment that the German Armed Forces do have enough of, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said: "We delivered whatever we had: anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, mines, guns, tons of ammunition, and non-lethal aid. Since then, we've progressed to more intricate and valuable systems."
NATO’s chief urged the West "to maximize the probability of an acceptable outcome of the war from Ukraine's point of view," emphasizing that the "best we can do is to provide military, financial, humanitarian and economic support to Ukraine".
