Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary common of NATO, mentioned on Thursday that Ukraine’s “rightful place” was within the Atlantic alliance as he visited Kyiv for the primary time since Russia’s invasion practically 14 months in the past.
Mr. Stoltenberg’s go to was not beforehand introduced, a apply that, due to safety considerations, is widespread for high worldwide officers making journeys to Ukraine. His journey was seen as a present of assist for Ukraine because the nation’s army prepares for an anticipated counteroffensive towards Russia.
“I am here today with a simple message: NATO stands with Ukraine,” Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned at a joint news convention with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, after the pair had held talks. Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned the difficulty of Ukraine’s NATO membership could be “high on the agenda” at a NATO summit in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, in July.
“Let me be clear: Ukraine’s rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO, and over time, our support will help you make this possible,” mentioned Mr. Stoltenberg, who was pictured paying his respects to fallen troopers on the Wall of Remembrance, a memorial in Kyiv, on Thursday.
Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned in February that Ukraine “will become a member of our alliance” however that it was a “long-term” prospect.
Mr. Zelensky, who has been invited to attend the NATO summit in Vilnius, mentioned it was vital that Ukraine be invited to affix the alliance.
“There is no objective barrier to the political decision to invite Ukraine into the alliance,” Mr. Zelensky mentioned.
Ukraine will not be a member of NATO, however the alliance helps to coordinate Kyiv’s requests for nonlethal help and helps deliveries of humanitarian support. Some NATO members, such because the United States, are the most important suppliers of army help to Ukraine.
There is division amongst NATO nations about whether or not Ukraine must be provided any type of detailed “road map” towards membership on the Vilnius summit.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, advised reporters on Thursday that it was “undoubtedly” nonetheless one of many objectives of Russia’s invasion to stop Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO.
“Otherwise it would pose a serious, substantial threat to our country and its security,” he mentioned.
Mr. Stoltenberg’s journey comes a day earlier than U.S.-led talks at Ramstein Air Base in Germany with high protection officers from greater than 40 nations, a collective referred to as the Ukraine Contact Group. Many of these nations are NATO members. The group has met usually on the base for the previous 12 months to debate and coordinate army and humanitarian support for Ukraine.
Those talks will most definitely concentrate on plans to ship extra arms to Kyiv, which has mentioned for months that its troops are wanting ammunition and utilizing artillery shells sooner than allies can produce and provide them. Those claims had been supported by leaked American intelligence paperwork that started circulating broadly this month.
At the news convention on Thursday, Mr. Zelensky mentioned that he had requested Mr. Stoltenberg for his assist to “overcome the reluctance” of some nations to supply Ukraine with extra superior weaponry.
Ukraine is getting ready for an anticipated counteroffensive that would attempt to drive a wedge by means of Russian-occupied territory alongside the southern coasts of the Black and Azov Seas, close to Crimea, or look to push Russian forces again within the jap area of Donbas — or each.
As a part of his journey to Ukraine, Mr. Stoltenberg visited Bucha, a city north of Kyiv the place dozens of civilians had been brutally killed by Russian troopers final 12 months. Mr. Stoltenberg mentioned he was “deeply moved” by what he noticed there.
Carly Olson and Ivan Nechepurenko contributed reporting.
Source: www.nytimes.com