NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reaffirmed on Thursday the need to step up support for Ukraine, adding it was vital Russia did not win as it could result in Russian President Vladimir Putin 'high fiving' the leaders of North Korea and China.

The military alliance has been increasing its forces along its eastern flank with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, deploying thousands of troops and equipment

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that a Russian victory over Ukraine would undermine the dissuasive force of the world’s biggest military alliance and could cost trillions of dollars to restore the organization's credibility.