LONDON: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday (9 November) that it was “encouraging” that Ukrainian forces were able to free up more territory in the country following Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. will be ordered his army to withdraw from Kherson.
“It is heartening to see that the brave Ukrainian army is able to liberate more of Ukraine’s territory,” Stoltenberg said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street.
“The victories and gains that the Ukrainian military is achieving belong to the brave and brave Ukrainian soldiers, but of course the support they receive from the UK and NATO allies and partners is also vital,” he added.
Asked about the Kherson withdrawal in an interview with Sky News, he said, “It’s part of the overall pattern and situation that we’ve seen in the last month that Russia has completely lost momentum.”
“But Russia should not be underestimated. They still have the capabilities,” he added. “We have seen drone and missile attacks, which show that Russia can still do a lot of damage.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said after meeting with Mr Sunak, he stressed the importance of continuing to support Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“(Stoltenberg) thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s support for Ukraine and confirmed that the Prime Minister will continue to do so under his leadership for as long as necessary,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Earlier, Stoltenberg joined British Defense Minister Ben Wallace to inspect Ukrainian military training in the south-east of England, and announced that the UK would deliver a further 12,000 extreme cold sleep kits to Ukraine. .
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/natos-stoltenberg-hails-ukraines-encouraging-liberation-more-territory-3058476 NATO’s Stoltenberg welcomes Ukraine’s ‘encouraged’ release of more territories