Peace in Ukraine Must Not Be a Deal Imposed by Russia: Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that acceptable conditions for peace in Ukraine must be decided solely by Kyiv. He stated this in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.

“We all want this war to end, but for peace to be sustainable, it must be fair. Peace cannot mean the freezing of the conflict or an acceptance of the terms dictated by Russia. Only Ukraine can determine what the acceptable conditions are,” Stoltenberg said.

The NATO chief noted that the more territories Ukraine “liberates,” the better bargaining power it will have at the negotiation table.

Regarding the prospects of the country joining the North Atlantic Alliance, Stoltenberg remarked that “Ukraine’s future is tied to NATO, but right now the priority is the establishment of Ukraine as a sovereign and independent state.” He added, “Otherwise, there will be no opportunity to discuss membership.”