Ukraine and the countries that support it need to prepare for long and complex military operations, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference following a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba took part in the meeting, RBC notes.
Stoltenberg noted that bloc members had approved an “ambitious program” of work for the next year, covering energy security, innovation and interoperability. “We are now transforming NATO’s comprehensive assistance package into a multi-year assistance program, helping Ukraine move from Soviet-era equipment to NATO standards and make their armed forces fully compatible with ours,” he added.
Commenting on the plans of some NATO member countries to supply Ukraine with American F-16 fighters, which Kyiv had been asking for for a long time, Stoltenberg said: “F-16s will strengthen Ukraine’s air defense. At the same time, we must realize that there is no “silver bullet,” no weapon system that will, on its own, change the situation on the battlefield. It is a matter of combining many possibilities at the same time. <…> We must be prepared for long and difficult combat operations.” At the same time, the NATO Secretary General called on “not to underestimate Russia.”
Source: Rosbalt
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