NATO calls the death of the interior minister a "harsh reminder" of Russia's destruction

BRUSSELS, 18 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, pointed out this Wednesday that the helicopter crash that has claimed the life of the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Denis Monastirski, and another fifteen people is a "harsh reminder" of the " senseless destruction" caused by the Russian war of aggression.

"This morning, we learned that 18 people, including three members of the Ukrainian government and several children, were killed in a helicopter crash. Although the cause of the crash remains unclear, it is yet another stark reminder of the senseless destruction and immense pain that this war costs", Bauer pointed out in his initial speech at the meeting of the NATO Military Committee that brings together the chiefs of the Allied Defense Staff in Brussels.

In this sense, he has stressed that the war in Ukraine "could end today" if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides, for which he has assured that until Moscow decides to stop the offensive, the allies will continue to support kyiv "for as long as be necessary".

The NATO military chief has told allied military leaders that it is "crucial" that they continue to provide their advice to the North Atlantic Council, NATO's decision-making body, stressing that we must be "honest about our strengths and weaknesses". "That's what friends do and it's crucial to our task of always being ready to expect the unexpected," he said.

Bauer has stressed that the war in Ukraine shows that modern warfare is as much about "bits and bots as it is about mud and blood" and that security and defense require a commitment from all of society and not just from Armies.

"The war in Ukraine has shown that defending the nation is a responsibility that falls not only on the shoulders of the uniformed, a dancer from the Ukrainian National Opera is fighting in the trenches at this time," he stressed.

The meeting of the NATO Military Committee in its modality of heads of Defense allows the 30 allies, plus Sweden and Finland who attend as guests, to sit down to discuss issues of strategic importance for the military organization.

On this occasion, the Chiefs of the Defense Staff will discuss NATO's military capacity and its readiness to defend the Alliance against all security challenges, with a special focus on operations, digital transformation and interoperability.