If Russia wins the war in Ukraine, it will make the world more dangerous - Stoltenberg

VILNIUS - If the leader of the Russian regime Vladimir Putin wins the war in Ukraine, it will make the world a more dangerous place, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a public forum on Tuesday.

In his view, if Putin wins the war in Ukraine, it will be dangerous because it will send a signal that authoritarian leaders can conquer other countries and get what they want by using military force and violating international law.

"We will become even more vulnerable. It is in our security interest to support Ukraine. That is why I welcome the strong support for Ukraine from our NATO allies. I would like to add that allies are investing more in defense. A few days ago, the latest figures were published. In Europe and Canada, defense spending has increased by 8.3 percent," Stoltenberg said, stressing that Alliance members must continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary.

Asked whether he was concerned that the war in Ukraine could become a "frozen conflict", the NATO Secretary General said that wars are by their nature unpredictable and usually last longer than expected. The only answer to this situation, he said, was to continue and increase support to Ukraine.