Support to Ukraine NATO's most important mission, alliance chief says

By Alexandra Enberg

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) - Sweden's first task as a NATO member will be to help prevent Putin from winning the war in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"NATO's most important mission going forward is to support Ukraine. I'm expecting that Sweden continues to give military and economic aid to Ukraine as new members of NATO. I am fully convinced that Sweden will continue to do so also as a member of the alliance," Stoltenberg said in an exclusive interview with the Swedish broadcaster Ekot in Washington, DC.

Stoltenberg said he expects Sweden to join NATO very soon, within a few weeks, and that he has received assurances from the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Hungary will vote in favor shortly after the Hungarian parliament convenes in the end of February.

The Swedish application period has historically been short, but it has taken longer than he hoped, Stoltenberg told the Swedish broadcaster.

During his visit to the US capital, Stoltenberg has met with leaders in the divided Congress to convince them to continue helping Ukraine militarily and economically.

The support package that US President Joe Biden has presented has so far been received with strong resistance from the Republicans who instead want to see more funding to strengthen the US borders.

"I assume that Congress will agree, and that the United States will come to a decision about increased and continued support, it is in their own interest. The world will become more dangerous if (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin wins," he also said.

In October, Stoltenberg will finish his NATO leadership role, handing over the assignment to someone else. Sweden's NATO membership is "the last piece that is missing" before his post ends, he added.