MADRID, June 25. /TASS/. The situation around Ukraine will most like be settled via negotiations, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in his interview for El Pais, published Saturday.

"Most likely, this war will end at the negotiations table," he said, according to El Pais. "We are responsible for providing the strongest possible position to Ukraine and for helping it to remain a sovereign and independent European nation."

"The best way to do so is to provide a strong military and economic support and to promote harsh sanctions against Russia," the official said.

"We help [Ukrainians], because they ask for it," he continued. According to Stoltenberg, "there is no total war between NATO and Russia."

"It is always risky to take peace for granted," Stoltenberg said, according to El Pais.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to aid request from the Donbass republics. After that, the US, the EU the UK and a number of other states imposed sanctions against Russian citizens and companies.