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.
"First, there are the new support packages for our army on the battlefield. The second, I think, is an invitation to NATO. We need your understanding that we have this invitation for when the security situation allows us. And thirdly, today we will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO," Volodimir Zelenski said.
NATO leaders yesterday announced a new package for Ukraine to support its integration into NATO. Thus, they decided to establish the NATO-Ukraine Council. It is a new joint body in which the Allies and Ukraine are equal members. Therefore they will have joint consultations and activities and it will be as a crisis consultation mechanism between NATO and Ukraine. However, the invitation to join the Alliance will be extended when the Allies decide that the conditions are met, Jens Stolteberg said yesterday.
It was also agreed to continue providing the necessary non-lethal assistance to Ukraine.
In a joint statement adopted last night, Alliance leaders called on Russia to stop the war, cease the use of force against Ukraine and fully withdraw all its forces and equipment from Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
