NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sees no sign of Russia's preparations for peace. At a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he said that Moscow is, on the contrary, preparing for new offensives.
He said that Putin, who started this war, can end it today by withdrawing his troops from Ukraine and sitting down at the negotiating table.
"We see no sign that Russia is preparing for peace. On the contrary, Moscow is preparing for new military offensives. So we must continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to retake territory, and prevail as a sovereign, independent nation," he said.
He added that if Putin won, it would be a tragedy for Ukraine, "but it would also be dangerous for all of us" as it will send a clear message to other authoritarian regimes that they can use force to achieve their goals. The Secretary General noted that "Beijing is watching closely and learning lessons that may influence its future decisions."
According to National Security and Defence Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov, Russia may launch an offensive not only in the Zaporizhzhya but also in the Kharkiv area. It may try to achieve some success before the full-scale invasion anniversary.