War in Ukraine is part of a pattern of Russian aggression over many years, in Grozny, in Georgia, in Aleppo, in Crimea and Donbas, said NATO Secretary General at the SAMAK Nordic Summit in Helsinki.

“We may be shocked by the brutality of the war in Ukraine. But we should not be surprised. This is part of a pattern of Russian aggression over many years.

In Grozny. In Georgia. In Aleppo. In Crimea and Donbas. And now, a full-fledge invasion of Ukraine.

NATO Allies shared precise intelligence about Moscow’s plans for an invasion many months ahead.

We made every effort to engage in diplomatic and political dialogue with Russia to prevent the war. But despite our calls, President Putin chose to attack.

One year on, Putin is not preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war. So while the fighting continues, we can already now draw some lessons of the war.

First, we must sustain and step up our support to Ukraine. Russia is launching new offensives. Mobilising more troops. And reaching out to North Korea and Iran to get more weapons. We are also increasingly concerned that China may be planning to provide lethal support for Russia’s war.

So we must give Ukraine what they need to prevail”, - said Jens Stoltenberg.