We understand, there is war in Ukraine – Stoltenberg on discontent of Zelenskyy

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stated he understands the negative reaction of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the results of the Vilnius NATO Summit, which refused to provide a precise timeframe for providing Kyiv with membership.

Source: European Pravda, referring to Stoltenberg’s statement at the press conference following the results of the NATO summit in Vilnius on 12 July

Quote from Stoltenberg: "We all understand the extremely difficult situation Ukraine is currently in. It is in a state of war; people are dying there every day; the Russian forces are fiercely resisting the Ukrainian counteroffensive; there are a lot of landmines as well as cruel military action from the Russian side."

Details: He added that it is the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine that is a reason why Ukraine has asked for more support numerous times, and "the allies have been gradually increasing it, including more advanced armament systems".

Commenting on the decision of the Vilnius Summit concerning Kyiv, Stoltenberg stressed that it is "the strongest expression of the further path and a joint signal about Ukraine’s membership from this Alliance".

Background:

• Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy harshly criticised discussions about the potential path to Ukraine's membership in NATO.
• Later on 12 July, at the joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Zelenskyy changed his opinion and stressed the importance of the NATO summit’s recognition that there is no requirement [for Ukraine] to implement a Membership Action Plan.

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