MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg arrived on an unannounced visit in Kiev on Thursday in order to hear an on-site report on the state of affairs in the Ukrainian armed forces, which NATO is pushing towards an offensive at any cost, political scientist Kirill Koktysh, an associate professor of political theory at the MGIMO University told TASS.
According to the expert, the Kiev regime has staked "absolutely everything" on the allegedly ready counteroffensive.
"It turns out that NATO has bet everything, including its reputation, along with Kiev. Stoltenberg is apparently conducting an on-site inspection and hear first-hand reports," Koktysh added. "There is nothing else for him to do there."
"Kiev is preparing for, or rather, the West is pushing Kiev towards an offensive. Stoltenberg is obviously assessing the degree of readiness of this counteroffensive," the analyst said.
At the same time, Koktysh is sure that this visit will not help in any way to speed up Ukraine's accession to NATO.
"NATO members are not suicidal. In this regard, NATO is free to voice the craziest plans, as it is customary in the alliance," he explained. With such rhetoric, the expert said, NATO is trying to persuade the whole world that the North Atlantic Alliance is still "a cost-effective project."
Attempt to encourage Kiev
According to Vladimir Zharikhin, the deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries, Jens Stoltenberg was "dispatched" to Kiev to "breathe optimism into the Ukrainian leadership," which has "clearly begun to doubt its ability to actually conduct a successful offensive."
"But, from my point of view, the choice of Stoltenberg is not very suitable. Kiev understands perfectly well that he is an absolutely dependent figure and is only able to say what he is being told to say from Washington," Zharikhin stressed. "There are no chances for a meaningful conversation with him. But since NATO’s ‘leader’ has arrived - and formally Stoltenberg is the ‘big boss,’ the implicit message is clear. They wish to show that NATO stands by Ukraine: ‘Do not be afraid, guys, go ahead and attack."