Nothing will be same as before: Stoltenberg says return to normal relations with Russia after war is impossible

Stoltenberg said this in an interview with the German DPA agency.

"Nothing will be the same as before. An end to the war cannot mean a complete return to normality. What kind of relations there will be with Russia in the future will depend on Russia's behaviour," the NATO Secretary General stressed.

According to Stoltenberg, Europe is unlikely to find itself again "dependent on critical strategic commodities like energy." and after the end of the Russian war in Ukraine, there will be no economic cooperation with the aggressor country as before.

"Because dependence on Russia has created points of attack that Russia is now trying to use to stop us from supporting Ukraine. Dependence on gas has made us vulnerable," he added.

On December 28, Bloomberg reported that Gazprom's exports to its key foreign markets in 2022 were almost halved due to reduced flows to Europe after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Currently, Gazprom is gradually increasing supplies to China, daily volumes in December exceeded contractual levels, and on some days reached record numbers.