NATO chief doesn't foresee any Russian retaliation against US weapons aid to Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, on Wednesday, stated that the North Atlantic Alliance does not foresee any Russian retaliation to the United States' decision to supply advanced weapons to Ukraine, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. According to the NATO chief, the US and NATO have been providing help to Ukraine as per enshrined in the UN treaty. He said the Biden administration has been supporting the war-torn country according to the UN treaty that promotes the right to self-defence.

 "No, I don't foresee that because what NATO allies and NATO is doing is to provide support to Ukraine to uphold the right for self-defence, and this is a right which is enshrined in the UN treaty," Stoltenberg told CNN.

Earlier on Wednesday, Stoltenberg, who is on the trip to Washington, thanked the United States for its increased military presence across Europe, with over 1,00,000 troops backed by significant air and naval power. When asked about a disagreement among NATO allies and partners over shipping more powerful weapons to Ukraine, the NATO chief, who was holding a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said that there were no cracks in the NATO and affirmed he has seen an unprecedented level of unity among allies and partners in the response to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.  

Supplying weapons to Ukraine is a 'hard decision' for NATO allies, says Stoltenberg

However, Stoltenberg acknowledged supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine is a "hard decision and therefore there is a need for consultations". The NATO chief hailed the efforts of the Biden administration for consulting the allies even before the Russia-Ukraine war. "I would also like to commend the United States for consulting so closely with allies not only after the invasion on the 24th of February but actually before. The United States consulted closely, Secretary Blinken consulted closely with NATO Allies throughout the autumn – we warned, we shared intelligence," he said. "There is hardly any other military invasion that has been more predicted than this one. And that's obviously because the United States shared so much intelligence with NATO allies in the months leading up to the invasion in February," he added. 

Image: AP