NATO chief hopes Ukraine can join alliance within 10 years

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes Ukraine can join the alliance within the next decade, he told dpa in an interview published on Friday.

"I strongly hope that Ukraine will be an ally," he said in an answer to a question about the possible expansion of NATO within the next 10 years, underlining his work to achieve this during his term.

The outgoing secretary general was speaking ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Washington where the alliance is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is set to announce new support for Ukraine.

Stoltenberg called on NATO allies to supply Ukraine with more military aid to defeat the the Russian invasion. "The stronger our support, the sooner this war can end," he said.

"That's the paradox. The more we commit for a long haul, the sooner the war can end. Because now [Russian President Vladimir] Putin believes that he can wait us out," he added.

Stoltenberg's expansion comments ahead of the Washington summit align him with allies who are counting on prompt progress to admit Ukraine, which was actually agreed in principle back in 2008.

The issue is however controversial within NATO. There is no timetable to let Ukraine join and there is no official invitation.

The alliance requires a consensus to invite Ukraine to join, and Germany and the United States have made clear they are against this while the country is under attack from Russia.

A declaration from a NATO leaders' summit last year in Vilnius only said that invitation will be sent when allies "agree and conditions are met."

The NATO declaration highlighted democratic reforms and reforms in Ukraine's security sector as examples of those conditions.