North Atlantic Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Russia is not going to retreat and will use the temporary lull in active hostilities in Ukraine for a new offensive, the Financial Times reports.

According to him, Kyiv proposed a peace plan, but Moscow did not accept such an initiative. Ukraine offered to withdraw troops by Christmas. Stoltenberg believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no desire to make real peace.

He added that the Russian side wants to freeze the conflict to allow its armed forces to regroup, rearm and try to launch a new offensive.

Putin started the war. He can end it today by leaving Ukraine, Stoltenberg said.