NATO Chief Says Sending More Weapons to Ukraine Is Quickest Path to Peace

Jens Stoltenberg called on NATO members to ramp up weapons production

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg claimed in an interview published Friday that the quickest path to peace in Ukraine is through NATO countries sending more weapons to Kyiv.

“It may sound like a paradox, but military support for Ukraine is the fastest way to peace,” Stoltenberg told the German news agency DPA. “We know that most wars end at the negotiating table – probably this war too – but we know that what Ukraine can achieve in these negotiations depends inextricably on the military situation.”

Stoltenberg’s comments come as there is no indication that Ukraine and Russia will come to the negotiating table. Kyiv maintains that its goal is to push Russia out of all the territory it has captured, including Crimea, while Moscow vows it’s not leaving the areas it has annexed.

Ukrainian officials are also demanding that Russia face war crimes tribunals before talks can even begin. While Stoltenberg said arming Ukraine is the fastest way toward peace, the support from the West has emboldened Ukraine to make such demands, and its hardline positions are unlikely to change as long as the aid keeps flowing.

The NATO chief recently acknowledged the dangers of supporting a proxy war against Moscow, warning that it could lead to a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. But Stoltenberg insists the West must continue arming Ukraine despite the risks.

In another interview over the weekend, Stoltenberg said NATO countries need to step up weapons production to support Ukraine. “For the artillery, we need an enormous amount of ammunition, we need spare parts, we need maintenance,” he said. “This is a huge undertaking. We need to ramp up production, and that is exactly what the NATO allies are doing.”

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.