NATO's Deputy SecGen Geoana: We are anticipating a long-term conflict in Ukraine

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana declared on Friday, in western Cluj-Napoca, that a long-term war in Ukraine is anticipated, considering that there are not enough forces on either side to decisively win the fight on the battlefield.

"Unfortunately, we are anticipating a long-term conflict, an attrition war, in which losses on both sides continue being significant, a war dominated by artillery and small troop movements, advance-muster, but there are not enough forces on both sides in order for one side to decisively win on the battlefield," Mircea Geoana said, answering the journalists' questions.

He added that the war in Ukraine is producing a lot of violence and that more casualties will follow.

"I suspect that this conflict will go on for a while. Unfortunately, it will last, causing human damage, a lot of violence, atrocious acts, sexual violence, forced deportations of Ukrainians to gulags, which we thought that the Soviet empire buried along with its demise. Unfortunately, old practices - ethnic cleansing, occupied territories, are very serious things that are happening and unfortunately, prolonging the war will emphasize these phenomena as well," Mircea Geoana mentioned.

Babes-Bolyai University (UBB) and the Aspen Institute Romania organized a debate in Cluj-Napoca, on Friday, titled "NATO and EU's role in modernizing Romania", attended by the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoana, and the rector of UBB, Professor Dr. Daniel David.AGERPRES