Russia will ‘fail’ in its objectives in Ukraine, NATO chief says

Addressing the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence, NATO's secretary-general says whatever happens, Moscow will not achieve its objectives in Ukraine.

Moscow will “fail” in achieving its objectives in its deadly invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s secretary-general says.

But Jens Stoltenberg told the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence that the Russian invasion has “shattered” peace in Europe and the transatlantic alliance must prepare for a “dark time” ahead.

“Whatever happens in the months ahead, whatever Moscow seeks to achieve through violence and aggression, it will fail. It is failing already,” Stoltenberg said via videoconference.

“President (Vladimir) Putin wants less NATO on Russia’s borders, but he’s getting more NATO. He wants to divide Europe and North America. But we stand more united than ever. He wants to hold European nations hostage with Russian oil and gas and is instead pushing countries to diversify their supplies and move even faster to a renewable future.”

While Stoltenberg projected confidence in the NATO alliance, however, it is and will remain Ukrainians who are facing the brunt of Russian artillery and siege tactics.

The Kremlin has maintained that its invasion of Ukraine is a “special operation” meant to disarm the country and unseat its leadership, and claims to not be targeting civilians. But images of shattered villages and besieged cities continue to flood out of the conflict as the number of Ukrainians fleeing the war continues to rise.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainians accused Russia of levelling a children’s hospital in Mariupol, a town that has faced heavy bombardment in recent days. The Kremlin denied the claim, insisting that Russian forces do not target civilians.

But the International Committee of the Red Cross said the people of Mariupol are fast running out of electricity, heat, food and drinking water – a situation a Red Cross spokesperson described as “apocalyptic.”