News2023.07.12 09:21

Vilnius NATO summit 2nd day: Zelensky welcomes ‘significant defence victory’ for Ukraine

BNS, LRT.lt 2023.07.12 09:21

The NATO-Ukraine Council held its first meeting on Wednesday as the two-day NATO summit concludes in Vilnius.

NATO countries agreed on the institution designed to strengthen political ties between NATO and Ukraine on Tuesday.

The Council was attended by NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Allied leaders agreed on Tuesday that Ukraine will be invited to join NATO once the bloc’s member states agree on that and Kyiv meets the conditions set.

The wording was the result of intensive negotiations within the alliance, but it’s not yet clear how Ukraine itself, which has been demanding a clear signal on joining NATO after the war, will react to such membership prospect.

Zelensky is also attending a series of bilateral meetings with NATO leaders, including US President Joe Biden.

NATO leaders are also scheduled to meet with the leaders of Sweden, India and the Indo-Pacific and EU countries.

The two-day NATO summit, which ends on Wednesday, has also agreed on a “floor” for NATO members’ defence funding, as well as on new regional defence plans.

On the eve of the summit, Turkey and Sweden succeeded in agreeing that Ankara would no longer block Stockholm’s NATO membership.

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