Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, U.S. General Christopher Cavoli said even a Ukrainian victory would only be the beginning of Western attempts to contain Russian aggression.

U.S. and European officials say Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to NATO membership. It advances allies' assurances that the country will be allowed to join the Western military coalition, but only after its war with Russia ends.

General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, has stated that Ukraine has a "great strategy" for waging war against Russia, although the course of hostilities is becoming increasingly challenging to predict.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia would consider any plans to establish a permanent presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea as a threat, given the alliance's involvement in the Ukraine conflict.

The Kremlin has identified the potential presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea, as outlined in Ukraine's maritime security strategy, as an additional threat to Russia. According to URA Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that such issues are regulated by the Montreux Convention.