NATO’s Stoltenberg: ‘We Cannot Let Putin Win’ in Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday in Bucharest, a day before the start of the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers.

NATO returns on Tuesday to the scene of one of its most controversial decisions, intent on repeating its vow that Ukraine — now suffering through the 10th month of a war against Russia — will join the world’s biggest military alliance one day.

NATO foreign ministers will gather for two days at the Palace of the Parliament in the Romanian capital Bucharest.

This week, the alliance will pledge to support Ukraine long-term as it defends itself against Russian aerial, missile and ground attacks — many of which have struck power grids and other civilian infrastructure, depriving millions of people of electricity and heating.

In a press conference after talks with Iohannis, Stoltenberg highlighted the importance of investing in defense and addressing ways to “step up our support for Ukraine, as well as other partners facing Russian pressure.”

“We cannot let (Russian President ) Putin win,” he said. “This would show authoritarian leaders around the world that they can achieve their goals by using military force – and make the world a more dangerous place for all of us. It is in our own security interests to support Ukraine.”

This gathering in Bucharest is likely to see NATO make fresh pledges of non-lethal support to Ukraine: fuel, electricity generators, medical supplies, winter equipment and drone jamming devices.

Individual allies are also likely to announce fresh supplies of military equipment for Ukraine — chiefly the air defense systems that Kyiv so desperately seeks to protect its skies.

NATO as an organization will not offer such supplies, to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia.

But the ministers, along with their Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, will also look further afield.

The foreign ministers of Bosnia, Georgia and Moldova — three partners that NATO says are under increasing Russian pressure — will also be in Bucharest.

Stoltenberg said NATO would “take further steps to help them protect their independence, and strengthen their ability to defend themselves.

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