While Americans have watched the price of gas increase since Joe Biden entered the White House, after trying to blame former President Donald Trump for the increase didn’t work, the Biden administration turned the focus on the invasion into Ukraine at the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

With Russia and Ukraine fighting, President Biden suggested that most of the troubles facing Americans like food shortages and rising gas prices were thanks to Putin. This narrative was recently supported by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who admitted that the problems facing NATO allies was a small price to pay for supporting the Ukrainian people and their supposed fight for freedom against the Russians.  

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Speaking on the ongoing conflict, Stoltenberg, as can be seen in the video below, stated, “I, of course, recognize that our economic sanctions, for instance, on parts of Russian industry, on the financial sectors, also have a global ramification. Also for the energy markets, and therefore Europeans, NATO allies, the United States partners, they pay a price, there is no way to deny that. But that price is much lower than the price we will pay if Putin gets his way by using military force against an independent nation. It’s about the price we have to pay for freedom for upholding rules based on international order and ensuring that the lesson President Putin learns from this war is that he will not be rewarded by using this kind of brutal military force.”

The Secretary General, recognizing the hardships, continued with the narrative that it was nothing more than an inconvenience when it came to freedom. “So I’m not in any way suggesting that there are zero consequences for us economically. As NATO allies and partners, by the sanctions we are imposing on Russia, because I’m saying that the most severe or direct consequences of the war itself, grain and second that the fact that we are paying a price is actually worth paying to support the brave Ukrainian people in upholding the right for self defense.”

On top of his statements, it was revealed on Wednesday that both Sweden and Finland had been invited to join the Western military alliance. “Today we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, and agreed to sign Accession Protocols. The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them safer, NATO stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.”

According to CNBC, “NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced earlier in the week that the Western military organization would increase the number of troops within its rapid response force — which comprises land, air, sea and special forces units that are capable of being deployed quickly — to 300,000 from about 40,000 personnel.”

This piece was written by Zach Heilman on June 29, 2022. It originally appeared in RedVoiceMedia.com and is used by permission.

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