In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Finland and Sweden's applications for membership in the alliance are a historic moment that NATO must take advantage of.

“Accession would not only strengthen Finland and Sweden, but all of us. Turkey is an important NATO country with strategic importance between Europe, Russia, Iraq and Syria. NATO countries Sweden, Finland and the EU classify the PKK as a terrorist group. No NATO country has suffered as much from terror as Turkey. That’s why we take Turkey’s concerns very seriously and are doing everything we can to address them,” Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg responded also the question about Ukraine, and noted: “NATO will continue to support Ukraine in its self-defense, but it is not part of the conflict. We are helping the country, but we will not send NATO troops to Ukraine. We have strengthened our own defenses, with 40,000 troops under NATO command. We have secured the territory of the alliance on land, at sea and in the air. This is a clear message to Moscow so that there are no misunderstandings about our preparation.”

The NATO Secretary General stated that they must “prepare for the fact that” the Russian-Ukrainian war “may take years.”

“We must not give up on supporting Ukraine. Even if the costs are high, not only for military support, but also for rising energy and food prices,” Jens Stoltenberg added.