Ukraine war not ending soon: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg

International Desk: The war in Ukraine is not ending soon, said Jens Stoltenberg, head of the US-led military alliance NATO. Most wars last longer than initially thought, he said. So we must prepare ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.

In an interview given to Germany's Funk Media Group, the NATO chief said that even if Ukraine launched a counterattack against Russia, there is no chance that this war will end very soon. The interview was published on Sunday (September 17).

Stoltenberg said, we all hope for a quick peace. But at the same time, it must be recognized that if President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainians stopped fighting, their country would not exist. He said that if President Vladimir Putin and Russia lay down their arms, then peace will come. There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually become a member of NATO.

The NATO chief said that Kiev came closer to NATO in the last July conference. When this war ends, Ukraine needs security guarantees. Otherwise history may repeat itself. NATO leaders agreed at a July summit in Vilnius that Ukraine could join the alliance if certain conditions were met. These conditions are said to include necessary legal reforms to protect democracy and the rule of law in the country.

In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military operation in Ukraine. This brought war back to Europe for the first time in decades. However, Kiev launched a counter-offensive against Russia in June last year and forced Russian forces to retreat in various regions in the south and east of the country. However, in this effort, Kiev has not been very successful so far.