Former NATO secretary-general answers when the war in Ukraine will end

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in an interview with N-TV that the West should not allow Putin to win the war against Ukraine, as the dictator has an enduring appetite for foreign lands and is likely to open a new front after winning this war.

At the same time, Rasmussen pointed out that developments on the front indicate that there will be no end to the war anytime soon.

I fear that the war will continue for a long time. Putin's plan A - to conquer all of Ukraine in a few days - has failed. His plan B is a frozen conflict and Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine in the hope that the West will weaken and surrender," Rasmussen said.

The former NATO secretary-general suggested that the war will continue at least until the end of 2024 as Putin hopes that the US presidential election on November 5 will bring a change in his favour.

At the same time, he noted that next year could be a decisive year for the Ukrainian army and with the right amount and types of weapons, Ukraine could push back the enemy.

Rasmussen emphasised that it is important to be steadfast on this path and not to consider Putin's proposals for any "ceasefire", as all his words about wanting peace are lies.

I hear this argument all the time: let's make peace, let's go back to more comfortable times. But if peace is made at the expense of the Ukrainians, if the Ukrainians are forced to give up territory, then Putin will conclude that his invasion was successful. He will have an appetite for further action. Why not continue? Moldova will be next, then Georgia, then he will put pressure on the Baltic states," he said.

Moreover, Putin's example could be a signal to other dictators who want to appropriate other people's land.