Nato chief downplays idea Ukraine could give up land for membership

Jens Stoltenberg insists comments by key Nato aide are not policy and path to peace is to support Ukraine militarily

Nato's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said it would be up to Ukraine to decide when it wanted to negotiate peace with Russia, as he sought to downplay comments by a key aide about a land-for-Nato membership agreement.

The head of the military alliance was speaking at the Arendal democracy festival where a couple of days earlier his chief of staff had caused controversy by suggesting that Ukraine could give up territory" for peace and Nato membership.