Stoltenberg: It is impossible to give dates of Ukraine's accession to NATO while war is ongoing

He made the statement in an interview with PBS.

"Well, I understand that he (President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy - ed.) is pushing for a clear timetable for NATO membership. At the same time, I believe it's not possible to give precise dates when we are in the midst of a war. And I think also that all allies will also very clearly express that the most urgent task now is to ensure that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation," Stoltenberg said.

According to him, NATO member states are currently focused on providing military support to Ukraine.

"Because, unless Ukraine prevails, then there's no membership to be discussed at all, because it's only a sovereign, independent, democratic Ukraine that can become a NATO member," Stoltenberg said.

• On June 10, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov expressed his belief that the July NATO summit in Vilnius would set the algorithm for Ukraine's accession to the Alliance.