NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the war in Ukraine could continue for years to come. Jens Stoltenberg statement came at a time w...
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the war in Ukraine could continue for years to come.
Jens Stoltenberg statement came at a time when Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine following a proposal by the European Commission to grant Ukraine EU status.
"We must prepare for the fact that this war may take years, we must not give up in support of Ukraine," he said.
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"Even if the costs are high, we need to be prepared not only for military aid but also for rising energy and food prices," he said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who visited Kyiv this week, also spoke of the need to prepare for a protracted war.
Boris Johnson wrote in London's Sunday Times that "this means that Ukraine is receiving weapons, equipment, ammunition and training more quickly than an attacker."
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"Time is of the essence, everything will depend on whether Ukraine can strengthen its ability to defend its territory faster than Russia's ability to invade," he wrote.
Ukraine received a major boost on Friday when the European Commission recommended that it be granted EU candidate status, which is expected to be ratified by EU countries at this week's summit.
This will put Ukraine on the path to fulfilling its pre-Russian desire to invade on February 24, even though membership may take years.
Intensity of attacks
On the other hand, Russian attacks on Ukraine intensified, the Ukrainian military said, adding that the industrial city of Severodontsk once again came under heavy shelling and rocket fire.
Analysts at the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War wrote: The available forces must be dedicated.
Luhansk Governor Sergei Gaidai told Ukrainian television that "all Russian claims that they control the town are false, they control the central part of the town but not the whole town."
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"Residential buildings and private houses have been destroyed in the twin cities across the river, with people dying on the streets and in shelters," Guidai said on the telegram messaging app.
The Ukrainian military acknowledged that "the enemy has gained partial victory in the village of Metolkin, southeast of Severodontsk."
Russia's state-run news agency Toss quoted a source working for Russian-backed separatists as saying that many Ukrainian fighters had surrendered in Metolkin.
Ukrainian officials say Russian missiles hit a gasworks in the northwestern Azim district and a Russian rocket rained on the outskirts of Kharkiv, the second-largest city, hitting a municipal building, setting it on fire but killing no one. No damage was done.
Vladimir Zelensky's determination
Impressed by his bold resistance to Russian aggression and gaining international respect, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said he had visited troops on the southern front line in the Mikolayev region, about 550 kilometers south of Kiev.
"I talked to my bodyguards, the army, the police, the National Guard," he said in a video on the Telegram Message app.
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"They are all stubborn, they have no doubt about our victory, we will not allow this land to be handed over to anyone and we will take back what we have," said Vladimir Zelensky.
In another video, Vladimir Zelensky was seen awarding medals in a khaki T-shirt and taking selfies with servants.
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