Zelenskyy’s participation in the NATO summit in Vilnius was confirmed after weeks of uncertainty; the Ukrainian leader earlier said he would not attend if NATO leaders would not offer Ukraine a clear path towards NATO membership
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will arrive in Vilnius on 11 July. He will take part in the dinner, as well as in the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council on 12 July, European Pravda reported, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
US President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 12. The White House officially confirmed the meeting during a briefing by the president’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to Ukrainian RBC.
“Tomorrow, Biden will meet with Zelenskyyy and they will discuss a long-term commitment of assistance from the United States and other allies to help Ukraine defend itself now and prevent future aggression,” Sullivan said.
According to Sullivan, tomorrow will be the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council to discuss the new aid package, Ukraine’s long-term needs and expanding cooperation between Ukraine and NATO.
“As Biden said, if Ukraine is accepted now, it will involve NATO in a war with Russia. In addition, Ukraine still needs to carry out some reforms. But the allies will give a joint positive signal about Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance,” Sullivan added.
In his address on July 10, Zelenskyy did not directly say that he would be present in Vilnius in person. But he ended the address with the words: “It is an honor for me to represent such people and such Ukraine!”
For weeks, the participation of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in the summit was in the air. He said that he would not come if “leaders do not show “courage,” meaning Ukraine would not be provided a clear path towards NATO membership.
End of “partnership era”: what Ukraine wants from the NATO summit in Vilnius
Read also:
- NATO agreed to drop Membership Action Plan to shorten Ukraine’s accession path – FM Kuleba
- Germany preparing to block Ukraine’s NATO membership bid – The Telegraph
- Portugal becomes 23rd NATO member to declare its support for Ukraine’s NATO accession
- End of “partnership era”: what Ukraine wants from the NATO summit in Vilnius
- NATO’s Vilnius summit will unite Alliance behind Ukraine and bring it closer to NATO – Stoltenberg
