In his moving goodbye address, Jens Stoltenberg emphasized Ukraine’s strengthening ties to the alliance as he gets ready to leave his position as Secretary General of NATO after ten years in office. Reiterating NATO’s open-door policy, Stoltenberg said that “Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before” and guaranteed that Ukraine’s membership is attainable.
During his term, which started in 2014 amid significant global changes, Stoltenberg emphasized NATO’s fortified defenses, especially along its eastern frontiers. He observed the sharp shift in reaction to growing Russian threats from having no combat-ready soldiers on the eastern flank to having tens of thousands of them stationed there.
Stoltenberg emphasized the necessity of continuous military support to thwart Russian aggression in his remarks about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. “Putin still believes he can achieve his goals on the battlefield,” stated the president. More weaponry for Ukraine is necessary, according to Stoltenberg, in order to change the Russian president’s calculations and make the war too expensive to continue.
Among Stoltenberg’s accomplishments are strengthening NATO’s defense posture and guaranteeing the alliance’s continued relevance in a time of escalating security risks. In closing, he emphasized NATO’s adherence to its basic principles and urged member nations to forge on together in the face of adversity.
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will become NATO Secretary General on October 1 following Stoltenberg’s resignation at the end of September. Esteemed for his political steadiness, Rutte’s tenure as the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands puts him in a strong position to lead NATO amid an intricate global environment.
NATO’s eternal duty is to protect its members’ security and sovereignty while welcoming new partners like Ukraine, as underscored by Stoltenberg’s closing speech.
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