NATO stands by Ukraine ‘as long as it takes,’ says alliance chief

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - NATO will stand by Ukraine “as long as it takes,” said the head of the military alliance on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Second Crimea Platform Summit via video link, Jens Stoltenberg warned that Ukraine and its partners must prepare for a “hard” winter and a “grinding war of attrition.”

“This is a battle of wills and a battle of logistics,” he asserted, reassuring Ukraine that “NATO will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

“A strong, stable and independent Ukraine is essential to Euro-Atlantic security,” Stoltenberg said.

He hailed Ukraine for its “incredible ability to resist brutal aggression, to strike back, retake territory and impose major costs on Russia” over the past six months of the war.

Stoltenberg underlined that “NATO stands in full solidarity with Ukraine” and NATO countries “fully support” Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Launched in 2021 on the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, the Crimea Platform is international consultation and coordination format with the participation of governments, experts and international organizations.

The event supports the de-occupation and return to Ukraine of the Crimean Peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

In response to Russia’s war on Ukraine that started on Feb. 24, NATO leaders agreed in June on the biggest overhaul of NATO’s collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War.

The reforms include a new deployment model with earmarked forces pre-assigned to defend specific NATO countries, 300,000 troops at high readiness, and more pre-positioned equipment and weapon stockpiles in the Eastern flanks.