Stoltenberg explained NATO's paradoxical decisions

According to the former Secretary General of the Alliance, Zelensky called him from a bunker in Kyiv as Russian tanks were moving towards the Ukrainian capital.

And he said, "I accept your decision not to send NATO ground troops, although I don't agree with it. But please close the airspace. Don't let Russian planes, drones and helicopters fly in and attack us."

Jens Stoltenberg

NATO External Secretary

Despite persistent appeals from the Ukrainian leader, Stoltenberg refused to help.

In his opinion, this would lead to a full-scale war between the Alliance and Russia, for which the members of the bloc were not ready.

As Biden, who was the US president at the time, said, we will not risk World War III for the sake of Ukraine, the former NATO Secretary General frankly admitted.

In his memoirs, Stoltenberg acknowledged that the refusal to provide Zelensky with air support was part of what he calls NATO's "paradoxical approach" to supporting Ukraine.

According to the former Secretary General, the Russian-Ukrainian war demonstrates both the strength and weakness of NATO.

The Allies provided unprecedented military assistance, without which Ukraine would probably not have been able to defend itself as it does now. But it must be admitted that our support came too late and was insufficient.