Assuring that “NATO has no intention of sending forces to Ukraine,” Jens Stoltenberg stated that Ukraine “did not ask for troops” but “did ask for more support.”
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The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, assured this Wednesday that he had told the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, that Ukraine did not ask for military intervention from the Atlantic Alliance to combat the Russian invasion.
NATO [Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte] “He has no intention of sending forces to Ukraine,” added Stoltenberg, in statements to the Italian news agency ANSA, after the meeting with Meloni.
“When I visited Ukraine last week, The Ukrainians did not ask for NATO troops, but for more support.“said Stoltenberg, who is on an official visit to Italy.
Stoltenberg also said he was grateful to Meloni for Italy providing kyiv, together with France, with a SAMP/T air defense system.
“Italy also signed a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine.helping to improve the country’s defenses, supporting the arms industry and combating hybrid threats,” said Stoltenberg, who praised Rome’s support for kyiv.
“I praised Italy for being a faithful, important and fundamental NATO ally, contributing in many different ways to the Alliance’s missions, a highly appreciated contribution,” Stoltenberg said.
Regarding the meeting with Meloni, Stoltenberg said it covered a wide range of topics “that are currently important for our security.” The NATO Secretary General recalled that Italy “plays a very important role as president of the G7 in a critical period for our security.”
By your side, Meloni asked Stoltenberg to make “concrete decisions” on the southern flank – the Mediterranean area that includes the countries of southern Europe – at the Atlantic Alliance summit to be held in Washington next July.
Meloni received Stoltenberg at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Government, in Rome, where he informed him of “Italy’s expectation that concrete decisions can be made in Washington” on what he described as “the challenges” of the southern bank. especially those related to irregular migration.
The Italian authorities have been facing for years the high flows of immigrants from North Africa on that flank, which they also associate with threats linked to the Sahel area, which is why Rome calls for greater intervention and contribution from NATO, which Recently there has been a lot of focus on the war in Ukraine.
The head of the Italian Government insisted on the need for more specific attention in this area, “in coherence with the 360-degree approach to Euro-Atlantic security provided for in the NATO Strategic Concept.”
Allied leaders will meet in the United States from July 9 to 11, where the issue of Ukraine and military support for kyiv vis-à-vis Russia are expected to once again be central issues.
In 2022, when the NATO summit took place in Madrid, Spain established among its objectives that the organization look at the southern flank and at threats such as institutional and political fragility, trafficking in drugs, weapons and human beings, although this issue has not been addressed. been central to the alliance’s strategic outlook until now.
Source: Observadora
