Zelenskyy welcomed commitments of weapons and ammunition to fight Russia even as he expressed disappointment over the lack of a clear path to join NATO.
Vilnius, Lithuania – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed fresh commitments of weapons and ammunition to fight Russia’s invasion even as he expressed disappointment over the lack of a clear path for his country to join NATO as the alliance wrapped up its annual summit on Wednesday.
“The Ukrainian delegation is bringing home a significant security victory for the Ukraine, for our country, for our people, for our children,” he said while flanked by U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders from the Group of Seven most powerful democratic nations.
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A joint declaration issued by the G7 lays the groundwork for each nation to negotiate agreements to help Ukraine bolster its military over the long term. Zelenskyy described the initiative as a bridge toward eventual NATO membership and a deterrent against Russia.
“Our support will last long into the future,” Biden said. «We’re going to help Ukraine build a strong, capable defense.»
The Ukrainian and American presidents also met separately along with their advisers, and Biden pledged that “the United States is doing everything we can to get you what you need.» He acknowledged that Zelenskyy is sometimes “frustrated” by the pace of military assistance.
Zelenskyy thanked Biden, saying that “you spend this money for our lives,» and said shipments of controversial cluster munitions would help Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
It was a marked shift in tone from Zelenskyy’s complaints a day earlier that it was “unprecedented and absurd” to avoid setting a timeline for Ukraine to join NATO.
On the final day of NATO’s summit, the alliance launched a new forum for deepening ties with Ukraine, known as the NATO-Ukraine Council. It’s intended to serve as a permanent body where the alliance’s 31 members and Ukraine can hold consultations and call for meetings in emergency situations.
The setting is part of NATO’s effort to bring Ukraine as close as possible to the military alliance without actually joining it. On Tuesday, the leaders said in their communique summarizing the summit’s conclusions that Ukraine can join “when allies agree and conditions are met.»
“Today we meet as equals,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday at a news conference with Zelenskyy. «I look forward to the day we meet as allies.”
The ambiguous plan for Ukraine’s future membership reflects the challenges of reaching consensus among the alliance’s current members while the war continues, and has frustrated Zelenskyy even as he expressed appreciation for military hardware being promised by Group of Seven industrial nations.
“The results of the summit are good, but if there were an invitation, that would be ideal,» Zelenskyy said, through a translator.
