Putin seeks to use ‘winter as weapon of war’: Nato chief

BUCHAREST/KYIV: Russian President Vladimir Putin wants “to use winter as a weapon of war” in his campaign in Ukraine, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday in Bucharest. “We have to be prepared for more refugees crossing into the rest of Europe,” as a result of Russia’s “deliberate attack on critical services, heating, light, water, gas” in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg reaffirmed the military alliance’s commitment to Ukraine, saying that the wartorn nation will one day become a member of the world’s largest security organisation.

Stoltenberg’s remarks came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken and his Nato counterparts gathered in Romania to drum up urgently needed support for Ukraine aimed at ensuring that Moscow fails to defeat Ukraine as it bombards energy infrastructure.

“Nato’s door is open,” Stoltenberg said. “Russia does not have a veto” on countries joining, he said in reference to the recent entry of North Macedonia and Montenegro into the security alliance. He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will get Finland and Sweden as Nato members” soon.

The Nordic neighbours applied for membership in April, concerned that Russia might target them next.

“We stand by that, too, on membership for Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. “At the same time, the main focus now is on supporting Ukraine, ensuring that President Putin doesn’t win, but that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign nation in Europe.”

Meanwhile, air raid alerts were issued across all Ukraine on Tuesday but there were no immediate reports of any new Russian missile strikes.

The capital Kyiv sounded the all clear, but Ukrainian officials called for caution following a warning by President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia could be preparing new attacks almost a week after the last big wave of missile strikes.

“Last time, the Russians also disguised the strike as a training flight...Let’s see,” Vitaliy Kim, the governor of the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine, said.