Putin's potential victory will cost much more than supporting Ukraine – Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stressed it is crucial that the allies do not delay the delivery of aid to Ukraine and that if Russia were to succeed in Ukraine, the West would have to spend much more on its own defence.

Stoltenberg noted at a press conference with Zelenskyy in Kyiv that during the last meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, it was discussed that Ukraine urgently needs more assistance, and the allies have heard this call, as can be seen from the new aid packages announced over the past week.

"We have to realise that when we don’t deliver when we delay supplies, it’s about life and death. It has real consequences. This war is not a kind of theoretical thing, it’s something that’s going on 24/7. When we are not delivering as we should, Ukrainians are paying the price," said Stoltenberg.

"Of course, it has a cost to ensure that Ukraine prevails. And there’s always a risk when you are engaged in conflicts like Ukraine is now. But the biggest risk is if President [Russia’s leader – ed.] Putin prevails... Because then we speak about enormously, much bigger amounts of money that NATO Allies have to invest in our security. So supporting Ukraine is the best way to ensure our own security," the NATO Secretary General said.

At the press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "positive results are expected" in the issue of interceptor missiles for the air defence systems currently at Ukraine's disposal, and that Ukraine continues to work with its allies to obtain additional Patriot systems.

In addition, Zelenskyy and Stoltenberg also discussed the secretary general's idea of a €100 billion NATO special fund to support Ukraine.