Is a freezing winter Russia’s latest tactic to ravage Ukraine? NATO chief thinks so

After unleashing a barrage of attacks on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest weapon is the bitter winter that has cloaked the war-torn nation.

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Putin is "trying to use winter as a weapon of war” by making his troops strategically strike Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, ultimately pushing the nation into freezing darkness. 

According to CNN, Stoltenberg made the remarks ahead of the NATO meeting with foreign ministers in the Romanian capital of Bucharest on Tuesday. He noted that Russian strikes have destroyed Ukrainian energy infrastructure, thus causing blackouts and a lack of heating resources across the country.

The NATO chief also said that allies "need to do more” to help Ukraine by providing more defence systems and ammunition. “We are in the midst of a war and therefore we should do nothing that can undermine the unity of allies to provide military, humanitarian, and financial support to Ukraine, because we must prevent President Putin from winning,” he said, according to AP. 

When asked about the possibility of Ukraine enduring more Russian attacks in the near future, Stoltenberg said that it is likely because "Russia is failing on the battlefield." According to him, Ukraine liberating Kherson and other regions near the cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv displays a sign of Russia’s “weakness.” Furthermore, Stoltenberg said that Russia is lacking weaponry and is therefore seeking Iran’s help, which he strongly condemns. "Iran and no other country should provide Russia with missiles, drones or anything else,” he said.   

NATO keen on welcoming Ukraine to the alliance

The NATO chief was also questioned about the likelihood of Ukraine joining the alliance, to which he said that the meeting with foreign ministers would "reiterate that NATO’s door is open” for Kyiv. “President Putin cannot deny sovereign nations to make their own sovereign decisions that are not a threat to Russia. I think what he’s afraid of is democracy and freedom, and that’s the main challenge for him,” he said. 

Stoltenberg’s remarks come as the two-day NATO meeting with foreign ministers commences in Bucharest on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to give way to additional assistance for Ukraine, including generators, emergency supplies, winter kits, fuel, and drone-jamming equipment.