NATO countries should strive not to reduce the volume of military assistance transferred to Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

"Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Allies have provided around EUR 40 billion worth of military support to Ukraine each year [since the beginning of Russian aggression in 2022]. We must maintain this level of support for as long as possible," Stoltenberg said during a press conference in Latvia.

He said he expects decisions from NATO allies at the summit in Washington on July 9-11 that will strengthen the alliance's deterrence and defense. According to Stoltenberg, members of the alliance must agree to give NATO a more important role in coordinating, training and supporting the Ukrainian army. Another priority of the summit, he named measures that guarantee Kyiv sufficient amounts of military assistance for the future.

Stoltenberg expressed hope that the alliance members will be able to find common positions on issues related to Ukraine by the July summit. "We have just finished important discussions on our preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit and how to further boost our support for Ukraine," he said.

At the same time, Stoltenberg assured that all countries of the North Atlantic Alliance support Ukraine, and the disagreements relate to what kind of support should be provided.