By John Ikani
Russia’s war in Ukraine could take years, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a German weekly newspaper, asking the invaded country’s western allies to continue supporting it.
“We must prepare for the fact that it could take years. We must not let up in supporting Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said during an interview with German newspaper Bild.
He added: “Even if the costs are high, not only for military support, but also because of rising energy and food prices. But: That is no comparison to the price that the Ukrainians have to pay every day with many lives.”
Stoltenberg stressed, though, that “the costs of food and fuel are nothing compared with those paid daily by the Ukrainians on the front line.”
If Russian President Vladimir Putin should reach his objectives in Ukraine, like when he annexed Crimea in 2014, “we would have to pay an even greater price,” Stoltenberg added.
Russia invaded Ukraine almost four months ago, and with the help of western nations, Ukraine has been able to defend some of its land and hold Russian forces back.
Stoltenberg’s comments come as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also warned the war could continue for a while.
Johnson in an op-ed in the Sunday Times, expressed concerns “that a bit of Ukraine fatigue is starting to set in around the world” and has urged support for Ukrainian efforts to try to roll back the Russian invasion.
“It would be a catastrophe if Putin won. He’d love nothing more than to say, ‘Let’s freeze this conflict, let’s have a cease-fire,'” Johnson said on Saturday, a day after a surprise visit to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and offered offer continued aid and military training.
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