Stoltenberg, Zelenskyy discuss Ukraine's military gains against Russia

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday discussed Kyiv’s recent gains against Russian forces.

In a tweet after their phone conversation, Stoltenberg said he “praised the brave Ukrainian people and forces for the impressive progress in regaining their territory from Russian aggressor.”

He reassured Zelenskyy that “NATO will sustain and step up support for Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Stoltenberg also reiterated NATO’s call for Russia to “stop the war it has started.”

Over the past few days, the Ukrainian army has achieved significant military successes on two fronts.

In the east, Ukrainian forces managed to take back control of Lyman, a railway hub in the Donetsk region, while also breaking through Russian defense lines in the south to advance along the Dnipro River.

At a news conference last week, Stoltenberg asserted that the war in Ukraine has reached a “pivotal moment.”

He said the partial mobilization in Russia, its illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, and nuclear threats indicate that the war “is not going according to plan” for Moscow.