NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the bloc is preparing to support Ukraine "for a long time," for the duration of the military conflict with Russia, even if it drags on "for months and years."

On Thursday, Stoltenberg claimed at a youth summit in Brussels that it is in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the military action because he "started the war."

As a result, Western countries will continue to "put maximum pressure on President Putin to end the war" by sanctioning Moscow and providing economic and military supplies to Ukraine, according to Stoltenberg.

“It’s a very unpredictable and fragile situation in Ukraine, but there is absolutely the possibility that this war will drag on and last for months and years,” he added.

Stoltenberg went on to say that NATO and its allies “are preparing to provide support over a long period of time and also help Ukraine to transit or move from old Soviet-era equipment to more modern NATO-standard weapons and systems.”

He made it clear that such a transition necessitates additional training for Ukrainian forces as well as improved coordination of efforts among Kiev-supporting countries. 

In this context, Stoltenberg welcomed the US proposal to hold monthly talks on Ukraine's self-defense with NATO and non-NATO allies.

Earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted that by assisting Kiev, Washington hoped to see "Russia weakened to the point where it can't do the kinds of things it did in invading Ukraine."

Moscow has consistently warned the West against "pumping up" Ukraine with weapons, arguing that such actions would only prolong military operations and create long-term problems. 

The Kremlin also stated unequivocally that any military hardware deliveries into Ukraine would be considered a legitimate target.

Stoltenberg also stated that Ukraine will continue to be a "highly valued partner of NATO," and that the alliance will support Kiev's "Euro-Atlantic aspirations." However, Stoltenberg stated unequivocally that any concrete negotiations on Ukraine's NATO membership bid would be possible only after the military conflict was resolved.