Biden to meet Zelensky at NATO summit in show of support against Russian aggression
Zelensky with Biden
US President Joe Biden will hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the NATO summit on Wednesday, media reports said citing an official familiar with the matter.Zelensky's meeting with Biden is a clear show of support for Ukraine amid Russian aggression and serves as a symbol of unity at the key summit that Moscow will be following keenly.
Earlier on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that at the summit, which is set to kick off on 11 July in the Lithuanian capital, there will be decisions taken pertaining to Ukraine.
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"This includes a multi-year package of assistance. To transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and standards, making Ukraine’s forces fully interoperable with Allies. And covering critical needs like demining equipment, fuel, and medical supplies," he said.
NATO boss also said that the bloc will upgrade its political ties with Ukraine. He said the Ukrainian president will join bloc members for the inaugural meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council.
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"Allies will address Ukraine’s path towards NATO membership. To continue supporting Ukraine and strengthening our own forces, we need to invest more in defence," he added while addressing a joint press conference alongside President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda.
Focus on Russia's war in Ukraine and NATO membership
The NATO summit will prioritise discussions on Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, along with exploring potential avenues for the war-torn country to join the alliance.Key issues include the provision of additional military assistance to support its counter-offensive.
Biden's position on Ukraine's NATO membership
President Biden expressed reservations about Ukraine's immediate accession to NATO due to the ongoing conflict. “I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” Biden told CNN before embarking on his Europe trip.
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Ukrainian president Zelensky has been seeking a "clear signal" for Ukraine's NATO membership.“It would be an important message to say that NATO is not afraid of Russia. Ukraine should get clear security guarantees while it is not in NATO. Only under these conditions, our meeting would be meaningful, otherwise, it’s just another politics,” Zelensky told ABC News regarding the upcoming summit in Lithuania.
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