KYIV: NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday acknowledged that Ukraine's army was slowing clawing back territory from Russian forces, which he said were fighting for "imperialist delusions" in Ukraine.

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"(Ukrainian troops) face fierce fighting, but they are gradually gaining ground. Every metre that Ukrainian forces regain is a metre that Russia loses... Moscow is fighting for imperialist delusions," he said in a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.