NPR's Leila Fadel talks to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about Ukraine's renewed request for weaponry, and the latest predictions on how Russian forces will fight the war in the future.
NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday. that he anticipates heavier fighting in the weeks and months ahead as the Ukraine war moves into a"new phase."
He believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin"totally underestimated" the strength of Ukrainian forces and the support of its Western allies. But he doesn't think Putin has changed his overall aim of controlling Ukraine — and now the Russian military has changed its strategy to focus in on the east.
"What we have seen so far is extremely bad. It has caused a lot of casualties, civilian suffering, destruction," he said."But the scale and the scope of the fight we may see in Donbas will be even much heavier and even more dangerous." Stoltenberg said now is the time for NATO allies to reinforce the Ukrainians, both by providing them with advanced weapons systems and resupplying them with basic necessities like fuel, ammunition, food rations and medical kits.It's President Putin who is responsible for this senseless war, and he can end that war tomorrow by withdrawing his troops and sit down and engage in good faith in negotiations for a political solution.