Rescuers work in an apartment building destroyed after a Russian missile attack in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, July 31, 2025. Credit Line: Efrem Lukatsky / AP / Profimedia
Russia is trying to conquer Ukrainian territories and dictate the policies of a sovereign nation, which represents a threat not only for Ukraine, but for global security, a high -ranking NATO official said on Tuesday at the Kyiv Post, on the outskirts of Defense Ministers in Brussels.
“What Russia does – tries to conquer the territories, dictate to a sovereign country how to live, what policies to adopt – it is unacceptable. He violates the UN Charter, violates the rule of law, violates all the fundamental principles,” said the official, adding that “Russia's war against Ukraine is a risk to us.”
The official stressed that the instability caused by Moscow aggression affects the entire international community, which is why continuous support for Ukraine remains essential.
“Unfortunately, we all share this instability and, at the same time, we continue to help Ukraine face them,” the official said.
He stressed that Russia's aggression is also targeting the digital field, with more and more cyber threats that target companies around the world.
“We see cyber attacks coming everywhere-from state actors, non-state actors, criminal organizations-for political purposes, for organized crime or ransomware attacks,” he explained.
“These are challenges that we all face and this will remain the reality of our lives in the future.”
The construction of societal resilience is an essential lesson that NATO allies can learn from Ukraine, the official stressed: “One of the things that have impressed me enormously, personally, is the resilience of Ukrainian society after the large-scale invasion.”
“Ukraine has prepared for crisis management processes, has a vibrant civil society, and we could learn important lessons from this experience. It was essential for Ukraine's ability to continue to fight almost four years later.”
The official concluded that governments and companies must engage in deeper discussions about security, resource allocation and capacity development.
“We must explain that we live in a completely different context, which involves very difficult political decisions,” he said, resuming ideas expressed by former NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Ljubljana, earlier this week.
