NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on allies to continue providing Ukraine with weapons in order to end the war that Russia is waging against the country.

On Friday, at a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo as part of a visit to Norway, the Secretary General indicated that today NATO allies are meeting at the Ramstein base in Germany, "further discussing support to strengthen Ukraine’s defences, and Norway is, of course, part of that initiative."

"All of this makes a real difference on the battlefield and saves Ukrainian lives. But Ukraine needs more military support now. The quickest way to end this war is to provide weapons to Ukraine. President Putin must realise that he cannot win on the battlefield but must accept a just and lasting peace where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign and independent nation. I call on all Allies to continue their vital support, especially in this difficult phase of the war," the NATO Secretary General said.

Stoltenberg recalled that at the NATO summit in Washington, the allies made a decision that guaranteed support for Ukraine in the long term. In particular, NATO is taking over the coordination of international assistance, opening a command post in Wiesbaden and creating a hub in the eastern part of the alliance to provide support to Ukraine.

"This will enhance Ukraine’s self-defence. NATO Allies pledged a minimum baseline of 40 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine within the next year. And to sustain this support for the long-term, to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself," he noted.