Brussels: Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has admitted that the western military alliance had anticipated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to the German weekly newspaper FAZ, Stoltenberg reflected on the intelligence reports leading up to the conflict and NATO’s response.
“I wasn’t surprised because we knew from the intelligence services what was going to happen. But seeing it actually happen still shocked me. I realized that this was a turning point in our history: there is a Europe before that day and another Europe after that day,” he stated in the interview released on September 14.
Stoltenberg, who has served as NATO’s Secretary General for a decade, described February 24, 2022—the day Russia invaded Ukraine—as the most difficult day of his tenure.
NATO’s Missed Opportunities
Stoltenberg acknowledged that NATO could have taken more decisive action to support Ukraine before the invasion. He highlighted the alliance’s initial hesitancy in supplying weapons to Kyiv, a move that, in retrospect, might have deterred Russian aggression.
“We struggled over whether to supply sniper rifles. For a long time, the US did not want to supply anti-tank missiles to Ukraine so as not to provoke Russia. In the end, they did supply some, but we could all have done more,” Stoltenberg remarked.
He further noted that NATO’s training and equipment support for Ukraine was limited before the conflict, potentially lowering the threshold for Russia’s decision to launch a full-scale invasion. According to Stoltenberg, a stronger Ukrainian military presence could have raised the cost of an attack for Russia.
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Arming Ukraine: Then and Now
While Ukraine is not a NATO member, it has received significant military support from its allies since the war began. Stoltenberg emphasized the contrast between NATO’s current military assistance to Ukraine and what could have been done preemptively.
“Now we are arming Ukraine for war, but back then we could have armed Ukraine to prevent war,” Stoltenberg said, pointing to a critical shift in the alliance’s approach.
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Negotiation as the Path to Peace
Stoltenberg believes that a resolution to the conflict will ultimately require negotiations. He emphasized that any dialogue with Russia must be conducted from a position of Ukrainian strength to ensure a sustainable peace.
“To end this war there will have to be again dialogue with Russia at a certain stage. But it has to be based on Ukrainian strength,” he asserted.
Jens Stoltenberg is set to step down from his role as NATO Secretary General in October after leading the alliance since 2014. His successor, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, was announced in June.
