The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that the Atlantic Alliance must prepare for the possibility of a ten-year confrontation with Russia and therefore expand the defense industry of its member countries more rapidly, moving from the slow pace of peacetime to production rates fast from conflict.
"NATO does not want a war with Russia", Stoltenberg stated in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.
"But we must prepare for a confrontation that could last decades," he warned in statements to the Sunday edition of the German newspaper Die Welt.
"If Russian President Vladimir Putin wins in Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russian aggression will not spread to other countries", argued the Norwegian economist and politician as reported by the German newspaper's website.
The best defense now is to support Ukraine and invest in NATO's military capabilities because "deterrence only works if it is credible", he said.
“We need to rebuild and expand our industrial base faster, so we can increase supplies to Ukraine and replenish our stocks,” urged Stoltenberg.
"This means moving from slow production in times of peace to fast production, as is necessary in times of conflict."
The Secretary General of the Alliance therefore asked European defense companies for more and faster orders.
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