Yes, it is extremely important that we as politicians make sure that our countries provide support to Ukraine – and not only provide support to Ukrai… - Jens Stoltenberg

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Yes, it is extremely important that we as politicians make sure that our countries provide support to Ukraine – and not only provide support to Ukraine but provide substantial support to Ukraine for a long time. And that will have a price. And partly, the price, the sanctions are important, but also of course, the military support, but also the humanitarian support, economic support, that has a price. But the price of not supporting them is much higher. Partly because, for me, this is a moral issue. This is about a sovereign independent nation with more than 40 million people living in Europe, which is brutally attacked by a big power; Russia. If we don't react to that and after what we have seen what happened in Bucha and other places, it violates my understanding of what is a decent behaviour of neighbours and friends of Ukraine. So, of course, yes, it has a price; but, not to act and just let that brutality continue, and let that brutality of Russia be awarded is, for me, a higher price. Second, it is in our interest to help Ukraine. Because you have to understand that, if Ukraine loses this, that's a danger for us. That will make Europe even more vulnerable for Russian aggression. Because then the lesson learned from Georgia in 2008, from annexing Crimea in 2014, from starting to undermine Donbas in 2014, and then the full fledged brutal invasion by President Putin in February, is that they can just use force to get their will. It's to re-establish an idea of spheres of influence, where big powers can decide what small neighbours can do. And that will make all of us more vulnerable. So, even if you don't care about the moral aspect of this, supporting the people of Ukraine, you should care about your own security interests. So therefore, you have to pay; pay for the support, pay for the humanitarian aid, pay the consequences of the economic sanctions, because the alternative is to pay a much higher price later on.
And then remember one thing, yes, we pay a price, but the price we pay as the European Union, as NATO, is a price we can measure in currency, in money. The price they [people of Ukraine] pay is measured in lives lost every day. So, we should just stop complaining and step up and provide support. Full stop.