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Ukraine needs wider format for its NATO ties, Zelensky tells Stoltenberg

The Ukrainian leader also thinks that currently there is not a single objective obstacle that would block making a political decision to formally invite Ukraine to join NATO

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Ukraine needs a more expansive format for conducting its relations with NATO than the mechanisms currently in place, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during the latter’s unannounced visit to Kiev on Thursday.

"We need something more than the current format for our relations. We highly appreciate the fact that the NATO countries are supporting us with arms, but we want to understand when Ukraine will be in NATO," Zelensky said at a joint briefing with the NATO chief in Kiev, having thanked Stoltenberg for his invitation to attend the annual NATO summit on July 11-12 in Vilnius.

Zelensky also thinks that currently there is not a single objective obstacle that would block making a political decision to formally invite Ukraine to join NATO.

"It is time for leaders to define the prospects for Ukraine acceding to NATO membership, determine the procedure for Ukraine’s advance toward this goal and define what security guarantees our country would receive for the period of this advance, that is, for the period before securing NATO membership," the Ukrainian president added.

He also said that during his meeting with Stoltenberg, the two sides discussed the decisions that Kiev expects its partners to make at a meeting of the defense ministers of Ukraine’s allies set to take place at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, on Friday, April 21.

"I appealed to the NATO secretary general with a request to help us overcome certain defense-related taboos in our relationships with partners. This concerns long-range weapons and modern aviation for Ukraine," Zelensky said.

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Ukraine NATO Vladimir Zelensky

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