NATO could have done more to arm Ukraine before Russian invasion, says Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has acknowledged that the Western military alliance could have provided more weapons to Ukraine before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In an interview with the German publication FAS, released on September 14, Stoltenberg expressed regret that NATO did not supply Ukraine with military equipment earlier, which could have potentially prevented the conflict.

“Now we provide military assistance during a war – we could have provided military equipment to prevent the war,” Stoltenberg told FAS. He pointed to NATO’s initial reluctance to meet Kyiv’s requests for arms before the invasion, due to concerns over escalating tensions with Russia.

Stoltenberg, who has served as NATO’s chief since 2014 and is a former Norwegian prime minister, is set to step down from his position in October.