WASHINGTON DC (TV 2): Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg went on Wednesday in hectic shuttle traffic between Congress and various ministries in Washington.
The talks were understandably focused on the situation in Ukraine, where the NATO chief now fears we are entering a new and even bloodier phase of the war.
– It is a fateful time for Ukraine. It is a fateful time for Europe. It is a critical phase in the war, says Stoltenberg to TV 2 during a break in the program on Wednesday evening.
He is clearly worried about what the next few days and weeks may bring.
STANDING HIS WAY: Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin shows no signs of wanting to negotiate or give up his war plans, says the NATO chief. Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / NTB.
– We must be prepared for tougher battles and a bloody reality on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Considering fighter jets
On Wednesday, the British government announced that it will offer a training program for Ukrainian pilots.
– The training will give the pilots the ability to operate advanced fighters of NATO standard, says one statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
So far, no promises have been made about deliveries of such fighters, although several NATO countries now express that they are on the way.
– Has Ukraine come closer to getting fighter jets after your talks here in the USA?
– No final decision on NATO’s part has been taken. This is an ongoing process between NATO allies, says Stoltenberg.
FIGHTING FALCON: The F-16 is one of the most used fighter aircraft in NATO, and has been promoted by independent experts as a possible combat aircraft that Ukraine will be able to obtain in significant numbers. Photo: Gianluca Vanicellii / NTB
At the same time, he emphasizes that such support is not ruled out, but that Ukraine’s need for various types of material is enormous, and that coordination between the donor countries is important.
– Yes, there will be more. In part, more is coming just to make sure that the weapon systems that have already been delivered work. Considerable quantities of ammunition are needed for artillery and anti-aircraft, which have already been delivered. Spare parts and fuel are needed. And then there is an ongoing discussion about new types of weapon systems.
New threats from Russia
The discussions surrounding fighter jets have clearly made an impression on the Russian leadership.
In a new, crass statement from the Russian embassy in London, it is threatened, according to British mediawith serious consequences for Europe and the whole world if combat aircraft are given to Ukraine.
However, Jens Stoltenberg does not take the Kremlin’s threats seriously.
IN GOOD COMPANY: Jens Stoltenberg had a meeting on Wednesday evening with the important “Troika” in American security policy. FV: Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin / NTB.
– What we take seriously is that President Vladimir Putin has attacked another country. This is a war of aggression, a deliberate war on the part of President Putin. There are no signs that President Putin will negotiate, says the NATO chief to TV 2.
Silent on extension
In March last year, Jens Stoltenberg was asked to sit for an extra year as Secretary General of NATO due to the security crisis in Ukraine.
One year later, the crisis is not over, but has, on the contrary, worsened. No successor has so far been put forward, and before the NATO summit in Vilnius in July the leadership question must have been clarified.
When asked if he would take another extension of his term, if asked, Stoltenberg is evasive.
– I have no other plans than to end my work in the autumn as agreed. All my focus is on leading the alliance at a critical time for Europe, a fateful time for Europe and a time when there is a full-scale war going on in Ukraine.
