NATO: Determined to Shorten the Timeline for Ukraine's Membership

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed, "We are determined to shorten Ukraine's path to membership in the alliance." He stated, "Ukraine is defending itself, and self-defense is not an escalation," emphasizing that "Ukraine has the right and responsibility to defend its people, and we have the right to help it in this defensive role." He assured that "Russia will not deter us... Russia complains and threatens at every stage of this war, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to intimidate us, but what happened is the opposite." He added, "Since the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022, allies have provided nearly 40 billion euros (43 billion dollars) in military aid to Ukraine each year. We must maintain this level of support at least every year, as long as it is necessary."