No direct military threat to any NATO allies – Stoltenberg

NATO countries do not face a direct military threat, whereas the Alliance’s defence capabilities have increased enough to convince Moscow that it would not achieve victory in an armed conflict, Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg told the news website delfi.lt in an exclusive interview.

Mr Stoltenberg said that there is no direct threat to any of NATO allies, although one may never be guaranteed about peace. He reiterated that there is no information that would indicate a direct threat to NATO.

According to the NATO chief, the world has become a more dangerous place but the Alliance has grown stronger and has made a historic step in ensuring collective defence since the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014.

Discussions about the changing security situation of the EU and NATO, and the threat posed by Moscow emerged amid the approaching second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier in February, prior to a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Stoltenberg urged to restore and expand defence industry capabilities, to increase aid to Ukraine and replenish NATO’s own supplies.

In January, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia announced plans to create the Baltic Defence Line in case of a potential conflict.