Stressing the fragility of Ukraine’s independence, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned at a Brussels press conference with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that if hostilities end, Ukraine risks losing its status as a sovereign state. He stressed that true peace would come only if Russia ceases its aggression against Ukraine.
The alliance’s leader underscored the need for Western nations to prepare for a prolonged standoff with Moscow and urged partners to support Kyiv with weapons, even in ways that could impact Ukraine’s own defensive readiness. He framed the situation as a long-term commitment that requires steady, coordinated action.
Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of sustained military, financial, and humanitarian backing. He warned that unity and resolve would face tests in the months ahead, pressed by energy pressures and rising prices. Yet he argued that the price paid in those tensions is measured in dollars for some and in lives for Ukrainians.
He noted that NATO has notably strengthened its presence in the alliance’s eastern flank, sending a clear signal to Moscow that allied territory will be defended inch by inch.
Earlier, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell articulated a goal to help Ukraine end the war, asserting support for sovereignty and a resolution that respects Ukraine’s independence while the conflict is brought to a close.
view of Moscow
While Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has stated that NATO does not seek conflict with Russia, Moscow remains wary about the prospect of indirect hostilities escalating into direct confrontation. Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reiterated this concern during a UN Security Council meeting, arguing that Western weapon deliveries to Kyiv will not fundamentally shift battlefield dynamics.
Nebenzya argued that new arms would not overturn the balance of power but could prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian leadership and delay an expected resolution.
The State Duma has suggested that concluding the special operation could lead to a fracture within NATO. Some Russian officials have cautioned that if NATO cannot cope with Russia now, internal disagreements within the alliance may widen.
In Crimea, regional leader Sergei Aksyonov has previously suggested that Ukraine would cease to exist within its 1991 borders once the operation ends, a statement that underscores divisions over Ukraine’s future boundaries.
Aksyonov warned that following any surrender by Kyiv, NATO members might manage what remains, but would not abandon their aggressive posture. He described a scenario in which remaining border regions could become sensitive zones, with parties attempting to secure their own strategic advantages and to maintain influence over the broader region. He also spoke of a second phase involving political processes that would require close monitoring to ensure that new tensions do not arise from shifts in power and territory.
The Crimean leader argued that these developments would mark only the initial stage of Ukraine’s disarmament in the broader context of the regional realignments and the ongoing search for a new balance of power in Eastern Europe.