US President Joe Biden met with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovskaya in Vilnius

US President Joe Biden met Wednesday with exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovskaya in Vilnius, where a NATO summit largely devoted to the war in Ukraine was taking place, the White House announced, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Increased security measures at the Lithuanian-Russian border. Bridge between the two countries closed to traffic

Increased security measures at the Lithuanian-Russian border. The bridge between the two countries, which represents the state border, is closed to car traffic. Because of the tense geopolitical situation, but also because of the growing flow of migrants arriving here via Belarus, officials in Vilnius have tightened border controls with Belarus as well. Checks have been steadily tightened since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

War in Ukraine // Ukrainian army makes progress near Bahmut

Kiev has been under siege from Russian-launched kamikaze drones for the second night in a row. According to the head of Ukraine's military administration, air defences shot down 11 of the 15 Russian-launched Shahed drones. Air alerts sounded for more than two hours in several areas of Ukraine as President Volodimir Zelenski was in Lithuania for the NATO summit.

Zelenski insists on security guarantees and a clear invitation from NATO. Stoltenberg: "The war in Ukraine has global ramifications"

Political leaders of the North Atlantic alliance launch the NATO-Ukraine Council today. Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski met ahead of the council's first meeting. The allies propose a multi-year package to modernise Ukraine's armed forces and drop the Membership Action Plan. In this way Ukraine gets a shortcut. The plan represents a set of military and political standards that were applied by other Eastern European states before they were accepted into NATO. Ukrainian President Zelenski insists on security guarantees and a clear invitation from the alliance.

NATO Summit // G7 states to ratify long-term security arrangement with Ukraine

G7 member states are set to ratify a long-term security arrangement with Ukraine at Wednesday's NATO summit, reports the BBC. The agreement will include military aid with defence equipment, troop training and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, the BBC reports.

Nicu Popescu, following the Vilnius meeting: "It is important to develop our airspace protection capabilities"

The Moldovan authorities are working with the North Atlantic Alliance to strengthen the capacity of the National Army, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicu Popescu, after the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Vilnius. The Moldovan head of diplomacy stressed the importance of developing our airspace protection capabilities.

Correspondence from Vilnius// Volodimir Zelenski arrives at NATO Summit

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski made his appearance on the second day of the NATO Summit in Vilnius. He is due to hold a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shortly. Ahead of the event, the Kiev leader said he had three priorities for today's agenda.

Correspondence from Vilnius// Jens Stoltenberg announced a new support package for Ukraine

Ukraine will become a member of NATO without the obligation to fulfill an Accession Action Plan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference. The invitation to join the Alliance will be sent when the allies decide that the conditions are met, the official said.

Correspondence from Vilnius// Ukrainian president criticized NATO for "uncertain" position towards Ukraine

On the way to the NATO summit, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, reacted to the behind-the-scenes discussions of the partners that instead of membership in the Alliance, only a few conditions for inviting Ukraine to NATO will be discussed at the summit, Radio Moldova's reports in Vilnius, Viorica Rusica, reports .

Smoke clouds and lava as volcano erupts near Icelandic capital

A volcano has erupted about 19 miles (30km) from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, the country’s meteorological office has said, marking the third time in two years that lava has gushed out in the area, The Guardian reports.

Correspondence from Vilnius // Nicu Popescu will address the security issues of the Republic of Moldova and the ways of cooperation with NATO

The Republic of Moldova wants to boost cooperation with NATO member states, the North Atlantic organization NATO and together with the Republic of Moldova-EU-NATO trilateral format. This is the message that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration, Nicu Popescu, will convey at a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, which is being held on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. At the same time, the head of Moldovan diplomacy will emphasize the fact that, at present, our country is not threatened militarily, but must face a spectrum of hybrid, energetic, economic threats.

NATO summit starts in Vilnius. Accession of Ukraine is among the main issues

The NATO summit begins in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius. The alliance will reshape its defense forces to immediately respond to a possible attack, announced Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of the organization. Among the main topics of the meeting are Ukraine's accession to NATO, combating Russian aggression and improving the defense capabilities of member countries. A day before the meeting, Stoltenberg announced that the Allies could shorten the accession process for Ukraine by a step and that it would be part of the North Atlantic Alliance, but not during the war.