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.
Officials discussed the main ideas for NATO-Ukraine cooperation on the opening day of the second summit.
"The war in Ukraine has global ramifications. Terrorist and cyber threats know no borders, and authoritarian regimes are becoming increasingly united. So we must stand together for an international order based on law," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
"First - new weapons packages to support our military on the battlefield. Second - the NATO invitation. We want to be on the same wavelength with everybody and today, what we hear and understand is that we will have this invitation when security measures allow. Yes, so I want to discuss with our partners all these things and in this way we will fight for these security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO," Zelenski said.
The Kiev leader took to the stage in front of thousands of people at the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday, where he gave a speech. The Ukrainian president said "NATO will provide Ukraine with security and Ukraine will make NATO stronger".
