Speaking at the start of a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Bucharest, Romania, Stoltenberg said: "NATO will continue to stand for Ukraine as long as it takes. We will not back down."
He called on allies to pledge more winter aid for Ukraine in the face of persistent Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure, the Reuters news agency reported.
Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau was among those attending the meeting in Bucharest to discuss further military assistance to Ukraine, such as air defence systems and ammunition, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
During their meeting in the Romanian capital on Tuesday and Wednesday, top diplomats from NATO countries were also expected to talk about "the current security situation in view of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine" and "the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank," according to the Polish foreign ministry.
"The ministers will also meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and separately with their counterparts from Georgia, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as these countries are particularly vulnerable to Russia’s destabilisation efforts," the Polish foreign ministry said on its website ahead of the meeting.
It added that Rau’s Bucharest visit would be an opportunity to hold a number of bilateral meetings.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the NATO foreign ministers were also expected to discuss providing non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including goods such as fuel, medical supplies, winter equipment and drone jammers.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis urged NATO allies to press ahead with deliveries to Ukraine.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. Photo: PAP/Mateusz Marek
"My message to fellow foreign ministers at today's NATO meeting is simple: Keep calm and give tanks," he said in a tweet.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is planning more attacks on his country this week, appealing to defence forces and citizens to be prepared to endure a new wave of air strikes on energy infrastructure amid freezing temperatures.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday his country needed transformers and improved air defences, news outlets reported.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, gov.pl