Stoltenberg: We should have given Ukraine more weapons before Russia's invasion.

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with the Financial Times spoke about his support for Ukraine in the war with Russia and the problems the Alliance faced after Putin's invasion.

If there is anything I regret and see much more clearly now, it is that we should have given Ukraine much more military support much earlier

Stoltenberg acknowledges that most NATO allies did not support providing Ukraine with lethal weapons before the invasion, but believes this led to complications. He emphasizes that greater support could have even prevented the invasion or complicated Russia’s actions.

The NATO Secretary General also talks about the challenging moments in the early phase of the war when it was necessary to balance between supporting Ukraine and avoiding direct conflict with Russia.

Of course, there were days and weeks, especially at the beginning of the full-scale war, when we had to discuss and resolve issues of these Russian "red lines"

Stoltenberg emphasizes that NATO continued to support Ukraine despite threats from Putin.

The reality is that if President Putin wants an escalation involving weapons of mass destruction, he can create all the necessary pretexts for that. So far, we have exposed his bluff

Regarding the future of the war, Stoltenberg emphasizes that a new impetus for finding a solution may appear after the elections in the US. He believes that this may include efforts to achieve progress both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. The former NATO Secretary General emphasizes that this decision must be made by Ukraine itself.

Stoltenberg also talks about his first meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019.

I liked him, but I could not imagine that he would become a military leader

Regarding Ukraine's possible accession to NATO, Stoltenberg indicates that there are ways to resolve this issue even if the front line does not coincide with the internationally recognized border. He emphasizes that the examples of West Germany and Japan show that NATO and the US can provide security guarantees without covering the entire territory of the country.