Zelensky Outlines Three Things He Brings To NATO Summit In Vilnius

The Ukrainian president has voiced his key priorities.

Ukraine is attending the NATO summit in Vilnius for three things: security guarantees, an invitation to join the alliance, and weapons.

This was stated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius, reports RBC-Ukraine.

"I believe that we will receive this invitation (to NATO, - ed.) when security conditions allow it. I would like to discuss all these issues with our partners. And the main thing is security guarantees for Ukraine on its way to NATO membership," he said.

The NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12. During the meeting, member states agreed on a joint communiqué, in particular on the vision of Ukraine's path to the Alliance.

Contrary to expectations, Ukraine did not receive a direct invitation from the Allies to join NATO. As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained, Ukraine will receive an invitation when "all Allies agree and the conditions are met". However, there was no explanation or specification of what conditions would have to be met.

Security guarantees for Ukraine

The G7 countries will announce on July 12 that they will begin individual talks with Ukraine to offer bilateral security commitments to bolster Kyiv's defense capabilities and deter further Russian aggression.

The announcement will be made on the sidelines of the second day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, where the defense alliance agreed to a package of measures aimed at deepening ties with Kyiv and underscoring the alliance's long-term support. The allies pledged multi-year assistance to Ukraine, established a new NATO-Ukraine Council that will meet later Wednesday, and accelerated a process that would allow Ukraine to join NATO by cancelling the MAP.

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who a day earlier criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for not setting a clear timeline for Ukraine's accession.