NATO leaders met Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Lithuanian capital as they wrap up a summit that has included an emphasis on supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion and discussion of Ukraine’s future within the alliance.Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that he understands that some allies do not want to consider Ukraine joining the alliance right now because of fears of a world war, and that it is clear that Ukraine cannot join during the conflict . with Russia in progress.
NATO leaders said in a written declaration on Tuesday that the bloc “will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met,” reiterating its position that it supports Ukraine’s membership but does not pass any specific commitments or timeline Zelenskyy has sought. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he understood the statement to mean that the conditions will be met once Ukraine’s territory is secure. Stoltenberg highlighted a three-pronged package to more closely integrate Ukraine with NATO, including work on interoperability between Ukrainian and NATO forces, a new NATO-Ukraine Council that held its first meeting on Wednesday and removing the requirement for Ukraine to complete an action plan for membership about its path to becoming a member. “Today we meet as equals,” Stoltenberg said. “I look forward to the day we meet as allies.” Russia has made several statements during the summit that security assistance to Ukraine and NATO’s expansion pose a threat to Russia. Asked if that could engulf the situation, Stoltenberg said there is already a “total war in Europe” and there is no risk-free alternative. He said the “biggest risk is about the president [Vladimir] Putin wins.” Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s position that it is only for Ukraine and NATO allies to decide whether Ukraine should join the alliance and that “Moscow does not have a veto.” Britain said members of the Group of Seven, or G7, leading industrialized nations plan to announce a new framework for allies providing long-term security support to Ukraine. Zelenskyy welcomed the move, saying that while the best security guarantee for Ukraine would be NATO membership, the G7 action would be a concrete step in support of Ukraine’s security. He added that Ukraine has already spoken to nations outside the G7 that are also interested in joining. Stoltenberg said that while guarantees, documents and meetings are important, the most urgent task for allies is to provide Ukraine with enough weapons. Zelenskyy was also scheduled to hold separate talks with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday. The US leader is scheduled to deliver a speech that “highlights how the United States, together with our allies and partners, is supporting Ukraine, defending democratic values and taking action to address global challenges,” the White House said. After the two-day summit, Biden will travel to Helsinki on Thursday to meet with leaders of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark. When Sweden has joined NATO, all five Nordic countries will be members of the military alliance.
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