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NATO to keep supporting Kiev but can’t allow direct clash with Russia — secretary-general

Jens Stoltenberg also said "NATO allies have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops since 2014, and they are now on the frontline"

BRUSSELS, March 23. /TASS/. NATO will continue to support Ukraine but the alliance bears a responsibility to prevent its direct conflict with Russia, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of the alliance’s heads of state and government in Brussels on March 24.

"In the last months, allies have stepped up military support, providing anti-tank and air defense systems, drones, fuel and ammunition, as well as financial aid, and hosting millions of refugees," he said. "Tomorrow, I expect allies will agree to provide additional support."

"But we have a responsibility to ensure that the war does not escalate beyond Ukraine, and become a conflict between NATO and Russia," Stoltenberg said. "This would cause even more death and even more destruction."

The secretary-general also said "NATO allies have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops since 2014, and they are now on the frontline."

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