Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Stoltenberg said: “The more land the Ukrainians are able to liberate, the stronger their hand will eventually be at the negotiating table.”
He added: “We all want this war to end, but a just peace cannot mean freezing the conflict and accepting a deal dictated by Russia.”
Stoltenberg told reporters in Berlin that NATO allies would address Ukraine’s membership aspirations at their summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next month.
He confirmed that allies were working on a multi-year package of assistance for Ukraine, and that they were working to establish a new NATO-Ukraine Council to jointly consult on security issues of mutual concern, according to the nato.int website.
The NATO chief commended Germany for its leading role in providing military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and for Berlin's recent decision to deliver more Patriot air defence missiles to Kyiv, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.
Stoltenberg said on Friday that Ukraine "has already moved closer" to the Western military alliance and that allies needed to create a framework to ensure "Ukraine's future security."
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Monday is day 481 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(gs)
Source: PAP, ukrinform.net, nato.int