NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Western countries must be prepared for the fact that the war in Ukraine will be long, DW reports, citing German media.

In an interview with the Funke media group, Stoltenberg said there would be no swift end to the war in Ukraine. "Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin," he said.

"We are all wishing for a quick peace. But at the same time, we must recognize: if President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no longer exist," Stoltenberg said.

"If President Putin and Russia lay down their weapons, we will have peace," the NATO head said.

Stoltenberg also expressed confidence that Ukraine would at some point join the alliance. "There is no doubt that Ukraine will eventually be in NATO."

As reported, during the NATO summit, which was held in Vilnius in July, the Secretary General said the decisions taken at the summit "are the strongest ever messages on Ukraine membership that the Alliance ever made."

At the same time, Stoltenberg said the most important thing is that the war ends, so the most important task now is to continue to supply weapons.