NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte shared on Wednesday at a press conference that the alliance is "on track" to deliver to Ukraine the $40 billion pledged in Washington for the coming year.

"The message is clear. NATO is delivering for Ukraine, and we will continue to do so," he underlined. Rutte further said that Kiev is "closer to [the organization] than ever," reiterating that the country will join NATO "when the time is right." Bringing up the "victory plan," Rutte said that while some aspects of it need to be discussed as there might exist some "different views," the alliance continues to stand "squarely" behind Ukraine.

Meanwhile, mentioning reports that claim North Koreans could potentially fight on Russia's side against Ukraine, the secretary-general stated that while he cannot confirm such news, it is "concerning."