Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Wednesday that the results of the NATO summit are good but would have been ideal "if Kyiv had received an invitation to join the Western military alliance." He emphasized that the alliance's acknowledgment that Ukraine does not need to follow an action plan for membership is "important," explaining that the former Soviet state has made significant progress in aligning with the alliance.
In a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during the summit in Vilnius, he mentioned that his country needs long-range weapons to fight Russian forces in Ukraine and that he would raise the issue in conversations with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Zelensky confirmed that he received positive news about new defense packages while in Vilnius, where he met with leaders from Britain, Germany, France, Australia, and the Netherlands.
NATO stated on Tuesday that Ukraine is welcome in the alliance but did not specify a date or set conditions for its accession. Furthermore, the alliance waived the requirement for Kyiv to meet a membership action plan and a list of political, economic, and military objectives that Eastern European countries must fulfill before joining. This effectively removed a barrier to Ukraine's accession to the alliance.
