NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has indicated that Ukraine may eventually have to compromise with Russia to end the brutal conflict.
In an interview with the BBC, Stoltenberg said Ukraine will have to decide what compromises it is willing to make.
“At the end of the day, it has to be Ukraine that decides what kind of compromises they are willing to make, we have to allow them to be in a position where they actually reach an acceptable outcome around the negotiating table,” he said. she said.
However, Stoltenberg also argued that NATO would need to continue supporting Ukraine to prevent future Russian aggression.
“Although we believe and hope that the war will end in the near future, we must support Ukraine for many years, build its defenses to deter future aggression,” he said.
Stoltenberg’s comments come days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said He insisted that US support for Ukraine remained “rock solid” and that he would support Ukraine joining NATO, despite the catastrophic risks of doing so.
“Ukraine will become a member of NATO,” Blinken told reporters in Brussels after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “Our aim at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership.”
“Based on what I heard today… everyone, including the United States, will go back and, if necessary, redouble efforts to secure the resources that Ukraine continues to need,” he continued.
In February, it was reported that Joe Biden had rejected Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s proposal to negotiate a ceasefire and potentially bring peace to the region.
According to Reuters, Putin has signaled through intermediaries that he is willing to end the conflict along current lines, which transfer permanent control of various territories to Russia.