BERLIN/BRSSEL (dpa-AFX) – According to General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, NATO wants to prevent the war in Ukraine from “spilling over” by moving its NRF rapid deployment force to the east of the alliance area. NATO is not doing this to provoke the conflict, “but to prevent it and to ensure that Russia understands very clearly that we will not allow anything,” Stoltenberg told ZDF’s “Heute Journal” on Friday.
“Russia needs to understand that Ukraine is a valued partner that we support. But it’s a different story when it comes to allies.”
When asked about the Bundeswehr’s equipment deficits, Stoltenberg said Germany was a “highly valued ally”. There are gaps in the armed forces of many partners. “But despite these gaps, I know that Germany’s defense forces are strong and have capabilities that are of the utmost importance to our collective defense.” The German contribution to NATO is significant and highly valued./sk/DP/he