Washington will remain a solid NATO ally regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election. This was stated by the general secretary of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, for France Press, quoted by BTA.
He said this a few hours before the first presidential candidate debates between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump.
"I expect the US to remain a solid ally, whatever the outcome of the US election, because it is in the interest of the US to remain a solid ally as it concerns its security,'' Stoltenberg said.
As for Trump's criticisms of the alliance, Stoltenberg said they were not aimed at NATO, but at those NATO allies who were not paying enough for their defense. Stoltenberg added that this situation has now changed, and now 23 out of 32 member countries spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on military spending.
"We are in a better position to show that the US is not carrying the burden of defense alone," he added.
A possible return to the White House of Trump, who has been very critical of NATO and who defines the organization even as obsolete, worries Brussels and most European capitals.
"There are no guarantees in politics, but I expect the US to remain a solid ally,", emphasized today Stoltenberg, who leaves his post on October 1 after 10 years at the head of NATO.
His successor - current Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte - will head the alliance when the US presidential election takes place on November 5.
Stoltenberg also told AFP that Russia is not capable of significant breakthroughs in Ukraine.
"They have been trying to go on the offensive again since spring, but so far they have made only limited gains. We have no other indications or reasons to believe that Russia has the capabilities or the power to carry out significant breakthroughs," Stoltenberg said.
However, he stressed that Russian forces are likely to continue to increase pressure on various fronts and increase airstrikes.
"But what we found is that the Ukrainians are capable of resistance. "They are capable of continuing to inflict heavy losses on the Russian invaders on the front lines, but also thanks to their depth strikes," he said.
Moscow launched a new large-scale offensive in northeastern Ukraine on May 10. Ukrainian forces, after ceding ground, blocked the advance of Russian forces in Vovchansk, a city located five kilometers from the Russian border. Before that, however, they lost control over several villages, France Press recalls.