GENEVA

The NATO chief on Thursday said that the alliance is working to "cement Ukraine's path" towards membership, reiterating NATO's commitment to continued support to Kyiv amid Russia's over the two-year-old war.

"Russia's brutal war against Ukraine has entered its third year, and as Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom, allies continue to support Ukraine," Jens Stoltenberg said in his opening remarks at the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

"The situation on the battlefield is difficult," he said, and stressed: "This is an argument for stepping up our support, not scaling down."

The last remarks may have been directed at the US, where aid has been held up for months by congressional Republicans, reportedly leaving Ukrainian forces at a disadvantage.

During the council, according to Stoltenberg, the members will address Ukraine's urgent practical and political needs, including how to strengthen NATO support for Ukraine.

"At (last year’s summit in) Vilnius, we agreed on a package of measures to bring Ukraine closer to NATO. And as we prepare for our Washington summit, we're working together to cement Ukraine's path towards NATO membership," he said, adding that this is not only important for Ukraine's security but also matters for the security of member states.

Russia reportedly began the war against Ukraine out of fears it might join NATO, but since the war began, the alliance’s ranks have expanded from 30 to 32, with the addition of Finland and Sweden.

Ukraine joining NATO as long as the war continues would be problematic, as an attack on any NATO country is considered an attack on all of them.