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- These words were announced ahead of the second anniversary of the invasion of Russia.
NATO’s Secretary General has warned that Europe needs to move weapons production to wartime levels to counter the Russian threat.
“We need to rebuild and expand our industrial base” to increase deliveries to Ukraine and replenish arms stocks, Jens Stoltenberg said.
He cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as evidence that “peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted.”
He said NATO was not “seeking war” with Russia, but “we need to prepare for a conflict that could last for decades.”
The comments were made ahead of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion on February 15th.
Stoltenberg said: GermanyWelt am Somntag: “If” president putin Even with victory in Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russian aggression will not spread further.
“Supporting Ukraine now and investing in NATO’s own capabilities is our best defense.”
His words came as calls for shells, ammunition and military aid from Ukraine have increased as fighting with Russia enters its third year.
Moscow has moved into a wartime economy and is investing huge sums of money in its military for the war effort.
The country spends 40% of its GDP on defense, which Western countries struggle to match, the Times reported.
On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden called on Congress to approve further aid to Ukraine.
“If the U.S. Congress fails to support Ukraine, it would amount to criminal negligence,” Biden said. “That’s outrageous.”
A day earlier, the Senate advanced a $95 billion bill authorizing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, days after other measures including immigration reform were defeated.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in November that the EU’s promise to provide Ukraine with one million shells by March was impossible.
Arriving at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels, Pistorius also questioned the wisdom of setting the target in March with a 12-month deadline.
Diplomats and officials have privately expressed skepticism about the target for months, but Pistorius’ comments are the first time a senior European minister has publicly acknowledged that the target will not be met. That was it.
The goal was set in response to Ukraine’s urgent and continuing need for 155mm artillery shells, a key element in the fight against Russian aggression as the conflict descends into a war of intense attrition. ing.
“We didn’t promise a million shots, but that was on purpose. The right question to ask would be: was one million a realistic goal?” Pistorius told reporters.
Russia’s military has long been considered the world’s second-largest power after the United States.
Moscow also called in more conscripts to replenish the battlefield. Allies North Korea and Iran are providing more troops, new armored vehicles, new artillery, and extensive use of drones.
With time working in Putin’s favor, there is speculation among Western military officials that he will next set his sights on NATO’s eastern flank and countries that were once behind the Soviet Union’s Iron Curtain, such as Ukraine. There are concerns that this may not be possible.
If he does so, there are concerns that NATO may be unable to stop a first wave of attacks against smaller member states in Russia’s immediate war path.
NATO officials have expressed fear of a Russian attack.
Last month, NATO defense chiefs met in Brussels and emphasized the importance of European countries becoming better prepared for a Russian attack.
NATO military committee chairman Admiral Rob Bauer has warned that the alliance needs to prepare for an all-out war with Russia over the next 20 years, while Norway’s defense minister said it should be ready within two to three years. Ta.
This comes as a secret plan has been leaked revealing that Germany is preparing for a NATO attack by Putin’s forces as early as 2025, and a senior NATO official says the alliance believes such a scenario could happen within 20 years. This happened after he announced that he was making preparations.
As buildings burn in Ukraine, a warning for Poland early Wednesday showed Russian missiles flying over Ukraine towards Poland, raising the stakes of a wider war involving NATO, of which Britain and the United States are also members. A threat has emerged.
Poland was forced to scramble at least three F-16s on Wednesday after Russia fired a missile at its NATO border with Ukraine, according to reports.
In this case, the missiles turned away from the NATO country and hit targets across Ukraine as part of a massive new onslaught unleashed by Russia.
NATO defense ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels on February 15, with a meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group to be a key highlight.
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