Russia could attack more neighbouring countries if President Vladimir Putin succeeds in the Ukraine war, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, warned on Thursday in Norway.
“If Russia wins this war, [Vladimir] Putin will have confirmation that violence works. Then other neighbouring countries may be next,” Stoltenberg said, referring to the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine.
Stoltenberg underlined the importance of supporting Ukraine in a speech at a summer camp on the island of Utoya for the youth wing of Norway’s Labour Party.
He said, “A world where the lesson for Putin is that he gets what he wants by using military force is also a more dangerous world for us.”
While supporting Ukraine, the NATO chief said the Western defence alliance’s second task was to prevent the conflict from spreading.
He said, “The attack underscored the importance of the Western alliance for Europe’s defence.”
Stoltenberg also said Ukraine is preparing for a counter-offensive in the country’s south.
He warned of the increased threat Russia posed to Norway given the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Stoltenberg said, “The current stage of the conflict is a “brutal and bloody war of attrition.”