NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg indicated in a recent interview that Russia shows no signs of pursuing a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. Guarded language from the alliance underscores a belief that Moscow is preparing for renewed conflict rather than negotiating an end to hostilities.
Stoltenberg asserted that President Putin appears to be orchestrating a longer confrontation, describing it as a war of attrition. He pointed to the intensity of fighting around Artemovsk (Bakhmut) as evidence that Russia is ready to incur heavy casualties in pursuit of limited aims, while rapidly expanding military production and seeking additional weapons from authoritarian partners in Iran and North Korea.
Attention was also drawn to China’s posture toward the Ukrainian crisis. Stoltenberg noted that Beijing has not condemned Russia’s initial military actions and has not engaged directly with Ukrainian peace proposals. He stressed the importance of deterring Beijing from supplying Moscow with weapons and critical ammunition.
defense spending
The NATO leader argued that member states should commit at least 2% of their GDP to defense. He hopes to see consensus on this target at the alliance’s Vilnius summit on July 11-12. A March NATO annual report showed only seven of the 30 member countries meeting the 2% goal, with the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, and the Baltic states among the leaders. France and Germany lagged behind, while Poland sought to boost its spending to 5% of GDP.
Stoltenberg emphasized that Western powers should have long supported Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and components. He framed the ongoing assistance as essential to sustaining a prolonged campaign, noting that the war tests industrial capacity and supply chains as much as battlefield prowess.
Current ammunition usage by the Ukrainian forces is reported at roughly 4,000 to 7,000 rounds daily, versus Russia’s roughly 20,000 shells. Stoltenberg highlighted that Western production facilities are not yet meeting the demand, but new contracts indicate an expansion of supply is on the horizon. Bloomberg reported that the EU had agreed to deliver one million artillery shells, a commitment the alliance hopes will cover roughly six months of Ukrainian needs. Stoltenberg also signaled a desire to increase the supply of shells to deter Moscow effectively.
In broad terms, Western support to Ukraine has included a wide array of military equipment designed to enable offensive operations, regain control of occupied areas, and push further into liberated zones. Stoltenberg also pressed for modern air power, specifically mentioning the potential transfer of American F-16 jets, though the White House previously indicated these fighters were not currently needed for Kyiv. Slovakia and Poland later announced the transfer of fourth-generation MiG-29s to Ukraine, reflecting ongoing European contributions to the effort.
Stoltenberg reiterated that NATO itself is not a party to the conflict, with member states choosing their own routes for arming Kyiv. The discussion extended to Sweden and Finland’s path toward full alliance membership. Despite Turkey’s objection, progress was described as continuing, with Sweden and Turkey returning to the negotiating table and the alliance maintaining a status that kept both nations closely involved in the conversation.
Turkey has cited several conditions, notably the extradition of PKK members residing in Sweden, as obstacles to formal candidacy. The situation was complicated earlier by controversial acts in Stockholm that inflamed tensions, but progress toward resolution was described as ongoing.