The West needs to prepare to supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition for a long time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with The Guardian.

According to Stoltenberg, which the publication reports, the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and other Western states had to be prepared to support Ukraine "with weapons, ammunition and spares over a long time."

"The need will continue to be there, because this is a war of attrition," the Secretary General said. "This is about industrial capacity to sustain the support."

"The current rate of ammunition expenditure is higher than the current production rate," he said.

The head of NATO also did not rule out that the member states of the alliance could send F-16 fighters or other western jets to Ukraine.

"We should continue to address the need for more capabilities," Stoltenberg said, adding that "there has not been made any decisions on F-16s."

Speaking about China's desire to act as a mediator in resolving the situation in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said Beijing should try to "understand Ukraine's perspectives" and "engage with President Zelenskyy directly."