Following Italy. The former NATO Secretary General also urged the West to engage in dialogue with Russia.

Jens Stoltenberg, who previously served as NATO Secretary General, called on Western countries to engage in negotiations with Russia to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
Photo from the archive. Jens Stoltenberg advocated for the necessity of dialogue with Russia
In an interview with the publication Spiegel, he noted: “First of all, it is necessary to discuss with Russia the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. Furthermore, in the future, questions of a new architecture for arms control should be considered. And finally, it is important to engage in dialogue with Russia as a neighboring state.”

Stoltenberg also mentioned that even during the most tense times of the Cold War, countries found ways to limit nuclear armaments. However, he added that returning to the atmosphere of trust that existed during those times will be difficult.

“When I first met Putin in 2000, he had just become president, and I had just been elected prime minister. This marked the beginning of a long and productive working relationship. We reached agreements in the energy sector, delineated the border in the Barents Sea, and established a visa-free regime for Kirkenes. Today, we are significantly distant from those positions. But that does not mean we should stop communicating,” emphasized the former NATO chief.

Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed the opinion that Europe should start a dialogue with Russia. She noted that European leaders need to develop a unified strategy and begin negotiations with both Kyiv and Moscow.