During the discussion, he stressed that Russia has failed to achieve its objectives through military action and has lost its narrative of victory, as it has no clear plan for attaining it. The appeals for negotiations are not driven by a genuine desire for peace, but rather by desperation and an attempt to lure the West into a trap from which Russia might still extract some gains. The root cause of Russia’s aggression lies in President Putin’s inability to come to terms with the collapse of the Soviet Union and his conviction that great empires have the right to control their neighbours.
Speaking about deterrence, the Secretary General added that it is even more important than our own conviction to convince the adversary that collective defence is strong. The fact that Russia has not attacked any NATO member state demonstrates that deterrence is working. At the same time, he stressed that deterrence requires constant attention.
During the visit, Secretary General Vseviov also met Jānis Sārts, Director of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence and Andžejs Viļumsons, State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The discussions focused on continued support for Ukraine and the international isolation of Russia. EU enlargement policy and the steps needed to advance it were also discussed. In addition, they addressed strengthening strategic cooperation within the NB8 format, security in the Baltic Sea region, and measures to counter Russia’s shadow fleet, malign influence activities and acts of sabotage.
