NATO Deputy Secretary Mircea Geoană gave an interview to the Italian daily “La Stampa” in which he outlined the organization’s views on Russia’s war against Ukraine, which, from missile falls to waves of refugees, has repercussions for Moldova.
The NATO official said that not the confrontations in the Middle East, but the war in Ukraine, triggered by Russia close to our country’s borders, is the biggest scourge on the globe.
“The war in Ukraine has a direct impact on European security. It is a war on European territory. That is why we are once again calling for de-escalation in the Middle East, because the combination of a more conventional major war in the East and, God forbid, something more complicated in the South will make the European security situation even more difficult,” he said.
Asked to comment on the repercussions that the war in the Middle East would have for Ukraine, Mircea Geoană pointed out that “Iran and North Korea are already providing support to Russia. We clearly see a strengthened alliance. China, if not directly with weapons, provides indirect support to Moscow with microelectronics and specialized technological tools for defense. It’s clear that this combination of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea is very complicated. For this reason, we must continue to support Ukraine. And let’s mobilize more support because, as Russia asks its partners, we too have a moral, political and strategic obligation to continue to help fight this war and win it. This is good for European stability. Otherwise, there will be an invitation to enforce the law of the jungle.”
Amid fears that the Ukrainian front line will be broken, NATO’s Deputy Secretary General said that now “is a very difficult time in the war in Ukraine. But we must avoid the mistake of being too pessimistic, just as we are too optimistic about the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The Ukrainians, including with our support, are adapting to new dynamics on the ground. Kiev achieves significant successes. It pushed Russia’s Black Sea fleet from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, on the other side. It managed to resume grain exports. Ukraine is very inventive. But there is a great need for ammunition, air and missile defense. I welcome Germany’s recent announcement of the supply of Patriot missiles. With our help, Ukraine will succeed in winning.”
In another development, the official rejected the idea that NATO would send soldiers to Ukraine. “We help Kiev prepare for any scenario, including joining the Alliance, but that does not mean that we intend to deploy troops in the theater of operations.”
At the same time, the NATO Deputy Secretary General revealed that “we have before us a new reality. Russia is an aggressive and unpredictable actor. China is on the ascent. We see conflicts. There is no longer the peace in which we believed after the fall of communism. We need to reinvest in our defense and explain this to our citizens to protect our way of life.”
