Dylan Bettencourt
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia could last for several years, says Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
However, the price of allowing Moscow to achieve its goal in Ukraine outweighs the cost of supporting Ukraine’s war efforts, Stoltenberg told German newspaper Bild.
“We must prepare for the fact that it could take years. We must not let up in supporting Ukraine.
“Even if the costs are high, not only for military support, also because of rising energy and food prices.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the nation is sending Ukraine more weapons to increase their chances of victory. The move has been cited as an attempt to bring an end to the conflict sooner.
“I’m afraid we need to steel ourselves for a long war,” Johnson wrote in the Sunday Times.
“Time is the vital factor. Everything will depend on whether Ukraine can strengthen its ability to defend its soil faster than Russia can renew its capacity to attack.”
In addition to sending Ukraine weapons, Britain will be sending equipment, ammunition and training to Kyiv.
Last Wednesday, Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksiy Reskinov met 50 countries to request more weapons and ammunition.
Ukraine is in the process of joining Nato, which Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said may have caused them to invade on 24 February.
“We declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way of explaining to the West that dragging Ukraine into Nato was a criminal act,” Lavrov told the BBC.
Ukraine is not however a member of Nato yet, and there is no timeframe as to when the country will become a member.
Image source: @ABCNews
