Urgent work is underway to satisfy Ukraine's request for 20 additional air defense systems to protect its energy facilities, NATO's Senior Representative to Ukraine Patrick Turner said.

"I can't say the details of what systems will be provided and when. But we know that it's an urgent requirement and an urgent request. I can assure you that a good amount of time at the meeting in Brussels was taken talking about that request, and that urgent work on it is underway," he said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

Turner added that the issue was also a focus of a meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels, with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a number of Allied leaders, on December 18.

"[Ukrainian Foreign] Minister [Andriy] Sybiha made a rather specific request, and the Secretary General asked ministers to assist in delivering that request. I think there will be work by individual Allies to help deliver that request," he said.

NATO knows that protecting the energy infrastructure and keeping power flowing in Ukraine is critical during the winter but also beyond, the Senior Representative said.

"A lot of Allies want to help with that. In general, Allies are very supportive of Ukraine going forward, wanting to provide maximum support to Ukraine. We know that we need to keep on supporting Ukraine, and that's our job," he said.