The families of two men from Alabama hope that Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alex Drueke are safe after their disappearance in Ukraine. Scott L. Hall, USA TODAY Russia’s war in Ukraine could continue for years and the effort requires Western support, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview published Sunday by the German edition of Bild. “We have to prepare for the fact that it may take years,” he said. International leaders have repeatedly shown their support for Ukraine in recent days, including recommending that the country join the European Union. The Group of Seven has pledged to support Ukraine “as much as necessary”, German Chancellor Olaf Solz said in an interview with the German news agency dpa. He added that he wanted to discuss the issue with G-7 leaders at a meeting scheduled this week, saying they intended to disrupt Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans. “Putin obviously hopes that everything will fall into place as soon as he has enough land and the international community will return to work as usual,” Solz said. “This is an illusion.” Also on a second surprise visit since the start of the war, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in Kyiv on Friday to offer ongoing assistance and military training. Summary June 18: 900 children from Ukraine were killed or injured since the start of the war. Zelensky visits the troops Latest developments: ΠρόUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited troops and healthcare workers on the front line in southern Ukraine on Saturday during a trip to the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. A famous Ukrainian doctor whose videos were smuggled from the besieged city of Mariupol by an Associated Press team was released by Russian forces on Friday, three months after he was taken prisoner on the city streets. ARRESTED: Two U.S. Army veterans felt compelled to fight Russia. Arrested in Ukraine. Germany’s economy minister said on Sunday that the country would reduce its use of gas to generate electricity amid concerns about possible shortages caused by the disruption of supplies from Russia. Robert Habeck said Germany would try to offset the move by increasing the burning of coal, a more polluting fossil fuel. “This is bitter, but it is simply necessary in this situation to reduce the use of natural gas,” said Habeck, a member of the Greens’ environmental party. Russian gas company Gazprom announced last week that it was drastically reducing supplies through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for technical reasons. Habeck said the decision appeared to be politically motivated. Germany, which has long relied heavily on energy imports from Russia, has begun to severely curtail them due to the war in Ukraine. – Associated Press NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Bild that Western support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia must remain strong. “We must not give up our support for Ukraine,” he said. “Even if the cost is high, not only because of military support, but also because of rising energy and food prices. But that does not compare to the price Ukrainians have to pay every day with so many lives.” Stoltenberg stressed that while NATO supports Ukraine with weapons and a stronger defense on its eastern side, the troops will not set foot in Ukraine. He also said that a nuclear attack seems unlikely. “We do not see a higher level of readiness in the Russian nuclear forces,” Stoltenberg said. The briefing by the British Ministry of Defense on Sunday about the war in Ukraine showed that morale on both sides is declining. “Ukrainian forces have probably suffered casualties in recent weeks, however, Russian morale is very likely to remain very turbulent,” the ministry wrote on Twitter. “There are still cases of entire Russian units refusing orders and armed confrontations between officers and their troops.” On the Russian side, morale has deteriorated due to poor leadership and minimal opportunities for troops to withdraw from combat units, the ministry said. “Many Russian officials at all levels are also likely to remain confused about the aims of the war,” he added. “Ethical problems in Russian power are probably so significant that they limit Russia’s ability to achieve operational goals.” The European Union’s executive branch on Friday recommended that Ukraine take a step towards accession, a symbolic push for a country that repulses a Russian offensive that kills civilians, flattens cities and threatens its own survival. The possibility of joining the EU, created to preserve peace on the continent and to serve as a model for the rule of law and prosperity, fulfills the wish of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his citizens in the West. The European Commission’s recommendation to make Ukraine a candidate will be discussed by the leaders of the 27-nation bloc next week in Brussels. The war has increased pressure on EU governments to speed up Ukraine’s candidacy, but the process is expected to take years and EU members remain divided over how quickly and fully they will accept new members. Contribution: The Associated Press
