KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is hosting the head of NATO amid efforts to pull back weaponry in the country's war-torn east.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in his opening remarks before the talks with Zelenskiy on Thursday confirmed NATO's support for Ukraine's fight against Russia-backed separatists in the east. Stoltenberg arrived at the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa on Wednesday where he toured four NATO vessels that stopped by during their Black Sea patrol.

Stoltenberg's visit comes just a few days after Ukraine and the separatists began pulling back weaponry from the front line in the east. The disengagement is seen as the final hurdle before much-anticipated peace talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany aimed to put an end to the deadly conflict.