NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the Ukrainians are gradually moving forward with their counter-offensive and that the allies should trust how Ukrainian troops conduct military operations.

European Pravda, citing Stoltenberg’s interview with CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour.

“They are pushing back the Russians, they are able to get through some of these heavily defended territories, not least, minefields. Therefore, it is even more important to support them, because we all know that this is a tough fight… But they are making achievements, they are gaining ground.

NATO allies provide an unprecedented level of military support to Ukraine, but the key decisions are up to the Ukrainians.

At the end of the day, it has to be the Ukrainians, their commanders on the battlefield that are making those difficult and tough decisions. What we have seen is that Ukrainians have exceeded expectations again and again. We need to trust them. We advise, we help, we support, but at the end of the day this is the Ukrainians that have to make those decisions”, - said the NATO Secretary General.