Russian efforts to intimidate NATO allies into ceasing support for Ukraine have had the opposite effect, said the head of the North Atlantic Alliance on Thursday, following reports that the Kremlin sought to assassinate the CEO of a major German arms manufacturer.
Jens Stoltenberg declined to comment directly on the report but acknowledged that NATO is aware of “a Russian attempt to intimidate us from providing support” to Kyiv, which continues to battle a Russian invasion that has persisted for over two years.
“But what we see, if anything, is the opposite effect on NATO allies. They are actually increasing their support for Ukraine,” he told reporters during a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“We have seen arrests across the alliance, in the UK, in Germany, in Poland, in the Baltic states, following these hostile actions and, of course, ongoing legal proceedings. What NATO is also doing is increasing intelligence sharing to help allies defend against these actions,” Stoltenberg added.
CNN reported on Wednesday that U.S. and German intelligence agencies thwarted a plot to kill Armin Papperger, the CEO of the German arms company Rheinmetall.
Rheinmetall is the largest and most successful German manufacturer of 155 mm artillery shells, which are considered crucial in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
The company is set to open an armored vehicle factory in Ukraine in the coming weeks, an effort that, according to an intelligence source speaking to CNN, is particularly concerning to Russia.
The report indicates that Moscow has conducted a campaign of sabotage across Europe, mainly through proxies, for over six months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that during the summit, “concrete successes” were agreed upon for Ukraine, including announcements to contribute five Patriot air defense batteries and dozens of other systems, as well as a new security agreement.
Allies are also expected to sign a new agreement with Ukraine.
