This file photo dated March 24, 2022 shows the logo of NATO at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

KYIV - The NATO-Ukraine Council on Wednesday held its first meeting in military format at the chiefs of defense level, Ukraine's mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said on social media.

Major General Serhii Salkutsan, Ukraine's military representative to NATO, addressed the meeting in Brussels on behalf of Valery Zaluzhny, chief commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Salkutsan briefed the participants on the current situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and highlighted the priority needs of the Ukrainian army.

Salkutsan also called for increased weapons supplies to Ukraine, including air defense systems and missiles.

The NATO-Ukraine Council was set up at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July 2023.

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The national flag waves as workers install the Ukrainian coat of arms on the shield in the hand of the country's tallest statue, the Motherland Monument, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug 6, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Separately, the Ukrainian authorities have decided not to hold parliamentary and presidential elections during martial law, the Ukrinform news agency reported Wednesday, citing Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.

"It has been decided that elections will not be held in Ukraine while martial law is in place," Stefanchuk said.

There were many discussions at both the parliamentary and government levels in Ukraine over the possible elections, Stefanchuk said.

Kyiv also held consultations with its partners over the issue, in particular with foreign parliament speakers, he added.

Ukraine was due to hold parliamentary elections in October last year, while the presidential elections were initially slated for spring 2024.

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The Ukrainian parliament imposed martial law in the wake of the conflict with Russia on Feb 24, 2022, and has extended it several times since then.

In November last year, the martial law in Ukraine was prolonged till Feb 14, 2024.