Ukraine risks ending up in an "eternal war": the ex-head of NATO proposed a "Qatari" scenario
According to him, if countries such as Poland allow air defense elements to be placed on their territory to protect Ukraine, then an attack on Ukraine will be considered as aggression against the entire alliance. And this should become a deterrent for Moscow. "We must help the Ukrainian people protect themselves from Russian missiles and drones by building an air shield that will help Ukrainians shoot down Russian missiles and drones.
NATO countries bordering Ukraine can become the location of NATO's air and missile defense systems," Rasmussen believes. The former NATO secretary-general also called for the deployment of European forces to protect Ukraine before any peace deal, explaining that as long as Putin sees a chance to win on the battlefield, he will not be interested in negotiations.
However, today the so-called European "coalition of the willing" has turned into a "coalition of those who expect", which contributes to the protracted war in Ukraine. "Putin has no incentive to participate in peace talks as long as he believes he can win on the battlefield. Changes in pace and thinking are necessary," he emphasized.
To get out of the state of "endless war", Rasmussen believes, it is necessary to increase the pressure on Russia and create conditions that encourage Moscow to consider the possibility of negotiations. Among such conditions, he singled out the development of a system of security guarantees for Ukraine based on a model similar to the agreements that the United States provided to Qatar after the attack on Doha.
According to him, the use of such a format could strengthen confidence within the Ukrainian society in future agreements on a ceasefire. The former official also advocated providing long-range missiles to Ukraine, including variants such as the German TAURUS and the American Tomahawk. In addition, he suggested using frozen Russian assets — 150 billion euros could become the basis of a credit mechanism for the purchase of weapons and financing the reconstruction of Ukraine.
To be more specific, the USA provided Qatar with security guarantees in the event of external aggression against the state. Relevant provisions are contained in the decree of President Donald Trump, published in official materials. The document provides that any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of Qatar will be considered by Washington as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.