FP LIVE September 16, 2024 The military alliance’s outgoing chief on the war in Ukraine, and Moscow’s partnerships with Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran

 FP LIVE 

September 16, 2024

The military alliance’s outgoing chief on the war in Ukraine, and Moscow’s partnerships with Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran

There’s little doubt that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine transformed NATO. Sweden and Finland reversed decades of policy to join the military alliance, and member states ramped up their defense spending to support Kyiv and prepare for future conflicts with Moscow. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, presided over these dramatic changes in the final years of his decadelong tenure. As he prepares to hand over the reins to Mark Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister, Stoltenberg sat down with FP Live to discuss Ukraine’s potential use of long-range missiles, and what NATO should do about the growing collusion between Russia and Iran, China, and North Korea. 

“There is no doubt that Ukraine has the right to strike legitimate targets inside Russia,” said Stoltenberg. “It’s up to individual allies to decide to what extent there are restrictions on the use of the weapons they deliver. … I have argued in favor of loosening restrictions because I believe that’s the only way Ukraine can defend itself.”

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