BRUSSELS — NATO foreign ministers Tuesday reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine and agreed to develop a multi-year initiative to help ensure Ukraine’s defense, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Speaking at a press after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission Tuesday evening, he said NATO countries have delivered close to 150 billion euros ($165 billion) of support, including 65 billion euros ($71 billion) of military aid to Ukraine.

The first Leopard and Challenger tanks are in Ukraine together with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from several other Allies, said the NATO chief.

“NATO will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Ukraine’s future is in the Euro-Atlantic family,” he stressed.

Stoltenberg noted that Allies will develop a multi-year initiative to help ensure Ukraine’s deterrence and defense, make the transition from Soviet-era equipment and doctrines to NATO standards, and increase interoperability with NATO.

“This demonstrates our long-term commitment to Ukraine and brings Ukraine closer to the Euro-Atlantic family,” he said.

Allied ministers and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also discussed the importance of Ukraine’s continuing reforms. This was the first meeting attended by Finland as a full member of NATO, following their accession earlier in the day.

Stoltenberg welcomed Kuleba to NATO Headquarters at the start of the two-day meeting of Allied Foreign Ministers.

He commended Ukraine’s continued push-back against Russia’s war of aggression, saying that today’s meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission will address “how to sustain and further step up the urgent support to Ukraine. Both military support, but also economic and financial support”.

He added that Allies will also discuss “increasing our political support to Ukraine in the longer-term and ways to help you on your path to Euro-Atlantic integration”. — Agencies