He said this in Washington on Monday before a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Ukrinform reports, citing the Pentagon's website.
"In Ukraine, Russia continues its brutal war. Only today, we have seen horrendous missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, killing innocent civilians, including children. I condemn these heinous attacks. At the summit, we'll make decisions to further strengthen our support to Ukraine, and Russia must understand that they are not able to wait those out. They need to sit down and accept a solution where Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation," Stoltenberg said.
Before the start of the negotiations, Stoltenberg thanked Austin for his commitment to strengthening NATO and the transatlantic alliance, and especially for his leadership in mobilizing all allies and many partners, more than 50 nations, establishing the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
"The Ramstein format has been extremely important, and it really made a difference and enabled us all to provide unprecedented support to Ukraine. So, this would not have happened without your strong leadership on the support for Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.
The 75th NATO Summit will take in Washington on July 9 through July 11. One of its main topics will be stepping up military aid to Ukraine.
Photo: nato.int
