Stoltenberg saw no point in restoring Ukraine in the event of its defeat

There will be no point in the West rebuilding Ukraine if it loses the conflict with Russia. This was announced on Monday, May 13, by the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.

“As for the restoration of Ukraine after, we first need to ensure that it prevails. If Ukraine does not prevail, then there will be nothing to rebuild in a free and independent Ukraine,” he said during a speech at the NATO Youth Summit , broadcast on YouTube.

According to Stoltenberg, the main task at the moment is to supply “weapons to Kyiv on a sustainable basis.” The organization's Secretary General emphasized that the North Atlantic Alliance intends to play an important role “in the restoration of defense and security institutions,” as well as to help Ukraine become “a full member of the alliance.”

On May 12, ex-analyst of the US Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) Larry Johnson noted that Ukraine is rapidly losing in the conflict with Russia. In his opinion, the Russian Federation feels that in Western countries there is growing despair over the issue of the Ukrainian conflict.

Prior to this, on May 10, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council, also noted that the US administration recognizes Russia’s tactical successes in eastern Ukraine and the Donbass. According to him, “Russia has achieved an advantage,” since the American Congress took too long to resolve the issue of providing assistance to the Kyiv regime.

On May 9, the commander of the 92nd regiment of the Ukrainian army, Colonel Pavel Fedosenko, said that what is at stake now is not the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but its survival, therefore slowing down the advance of Russian troops in the Donbass is crucial. He noted that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are losing 20 square meters. km per week. According to him, there is a “70 percent probability” that Russia will be able to take the rest of Donbass.

On April 12, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the country would need about $700 billion for reconstruction. At the same time, he noted that the required amount he named is still approximate. At the same time, on April 11, it was reported that  the World Bank estimated Ukraine’s recovery at $500 billion. According to the international financial institution, the amount indicated in the report is almost twice the size of Ukraine’s economy in 2021. They also indicated that a significant portion of the costs will be required to restore the country's infrastructure, especially its energy system.

Western countries have increased military and financial support for Ukraine against the background of Russia’s special operation to protect Donbass, which began on February 24, 2022 due to the aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of Ukrainian shelling.