NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg indicated on Friday that "the leaders of the 31 NATO countries will reaffirm at their summit next week in Vilnius that Ukraine will become a member in the future," although no specific date was provided. Stoltenberg stated, "We will create a Ukraine-NATO council, I expect that Ukraine will eventually become a member of the alliance." He added that NATO leaders will approve a multi-year support package for Ukraine during the summit.
In a press conference, Stoltenberg said, "I expect our leaders to once again confirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO and to unite on how to bring Ukraine closer to this goal." He noted, "We are consulting and looking for the precise formula that will be announced once we reach a consensus." Stoltenberg emphasized that "Moscow has sown death and destruction in the heart of Europe in its quest to destroy Ukraine and divide the Atlantic alliance," affirming that "the summit will send a clear message that NATO is united and that Russia's aggression will not yield results."
On the eve of the July summit in Vilnius, Stoltenberg mentioned that the leaders will make three key decisions regarding Ukraine, particularly anticipating confirmation of Kyiv's future membership in the defense bloc.
