“NATO is ready to conduct a dialogue with Russia on the situation around Ukraine, but in the event of an escalation, it will force the Russian Federation to “pay a high price”,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
“We are ready to start a dialogue with Russia. No one is interested in an armed conflict. In the event of a political solution, we will all benefit,” he said in an interview published by a Turin newspaper La Stampa on Saturday.
“If Russia once again uses force against Ukraine, it will have to pay a heavy price through economic and political sanctions. We will provide Ukraine with assistance to support its right to self-defense, and naturally we are also ready to protect all allies if necessary,” he said.
“If Russia’s goal is to have less NATO at its borders, then it will achieve the opposite. In the event of aggression, we will send more forces this time,” Stoltenberg stressed.
Stoltenberg expressed confidence that all member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance would be united in their actions against Russia. “It is important to me that all allies have fully implemented the agreed sanctions and have decided to introduce new ones if necessary,” he said.