NATO's Stoltenberg warns against underestimating of Russia

It is up to Ukraine to decide what terms are acceptable for negotiations to bring an end to the war Russia is waging against the country, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday (November 14), warning Moscow's strength should not be underestimated despite Kyiv's recent battlefield successes.

"We should not make the mistake of underestimating Russia. The Russian armed forces retain significant capabilities, as well as a large number of troops," Stoltenberg said during a joint news conference with Dutch government officials in The Hague.

"The coming months will be difficult. Putin's aim is to leave Ukraine cold and dark this winter. So we must stay the course," he said.

Echoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments over the weekend, Stoltenberg said it was up to Ukraine to decide when and how it wanted to negotiate with Russia to end the war.

"They are paying out the highest price in terms of lost lives and damage to the country, so it's for Ukraine to decide what kind of terms that are acceptable for them. It's for us to support them and maximize the likelihood for an acceptable outcome," Stoltenberg said.

The comment came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the newly recaptured southern city of Kherson in what marked Russian President Vladimir Putin's third major setback since the start of the war in February.