NATO Secretary General: Russia 'will pay a heavy price' in case of escalation in Ukraine
NATO is ready for dialogue with Russia on the situation around Ukraine, but in case of escalation it would cost the Russian Federation "a lot of money", NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
"We are ready to start a dialogue with Russia. No one is interested in an armed conflict. In the event of a political solution, we all benefit," he said in an interview published on Saturday in the Turin newspaper La Stampa.
NATO measures
But at the same time, the NATO Secretary General also pointed out that alliance members were “prepared for the worst”.
"If Russia again uses force against Ukraine, it will pay a heavy price in economic and political sanctions. We will provide Ukraine with assistance to support its right to self-defense, and of course we are ready to defend all our allies if necessary," he said.
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| NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. |
"If Russia's goal is to have fewer NATO forces on its borders, it will achieve the opposite. In the event of aggression, we will send more troops," Mr. Stoltenberg emphasized.
Stoltenberg expressed confidence that all member states of the North Atlantic Alliance will unite in actions against Russia.
“It is important to me that all allies fully implement the agreed sanctions and decide to apply new measures if necessary,” he said.
