NATO leader says war in Ukraine could last 'years'; Germany to rely more on burning coal: Live updates

 ussia's war in Ukraine could go on for years and the effort requires Western support, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview published Sunday by the German publication Bild. 

We must prepare for the fact that it could take years," he said.

International leaders have repeatedly shown their support for Ukraine in recent days, including recommending the country join the European Union. The Group of Seven pledged to support Ukraine “for as long as necessary," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with Germany’s dpa news agency

He said he wants to discuss the issue with fellow G-7 leaders in a scheduled meeting this week, saying they intend to disrupt Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans. 

“Putin obviously hopes that everything will fall into place once he has conquered enough land and the international community will return to business as usual,” Scholz said. “That is an illusion

Also, in a second surprise visit since the war began, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in Kyiv on Friday to offer continued aid and military training. Johnson  shares Stoltenberg's belief that this will be a protracted conflict, writing in The Sunday Times of London: “I am afraid that we need to steel ourselves for a long war, as Putin resorts to a campaign of attrition, trying to grind down Ukraine by sheer brutality,”