Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, has stated that the battles for Soledar and Bakhmut show how important it is to strengthen military support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

"In recent days, we have seen fierce battles near Bakhmut and Soledar in eastern Ukraine. This shows once again the courage of the Ukrainian military, who are fighting to defend their homeland. It also shows how vital it is that we strengthen our military support to Ukraine," said Stoltenberg during a briefing with Head of the European Commission on Wednesday, 11 January.

He welcomed the recent announcements by the US, France and Germany that they would soon provide infantry fighting vehicles and light tanks to Ukraine, as well as the unprecedented support from all NATO allies and EU member states.

"Our support makes a real difference on the battlefield. At this crucial time in the war, we must do much more, much faster," said Stoltenberg.

As reported, on Wednesday, the EU and NATO announced the creation of a taskforce for joint protection of critical infrastructure.