BRUSSELS, November 28. /TASS/. NATO foreign ministers will discuss the Gaza conflict, the situation in the Balkans and support for Ukraine at a planned two-day meeting in Brussels. They will also hold the first foreign ministers' meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council with the participation of top Ukrainian diplomat Dmitry Kuleba.

Brussels and Washington do not expect any breakthrough decisions from the consultations. In addition, Sweden won’t be joining the alliance this year because Turkey has not ratified its accession documents.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at a press conference ahead of the meeting that the ministers intend to agree on recommendations on reforms for Ukraine's admission to the alliance, stressing that NATO is thus implementing the decisions on Ukraine's membership taken at the NATO Vilnius Summit and sending a signal to Kiev that the alliance will continue to support it.

According to him, the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at the level of foreign ministers will be held on November 29. The officials will have to draw unpleasant conclusions from the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, but NATO member states still intend to continue supporting Kiev.

As for the Middle East conflict, according to Stoltenberg, the ministers will limit themselves to statements in support of extending the humanitarian ceasefire in the fighting and finding a long-term solution to the conflict.

The meeting will discuss increasing the military contingent in Kosovo beyond the roughly 1,000 NATO troops deployed to the region this year. The number of NATO troops in Kosovo, including recent reinforcements, already exceeds 5,500.