We will have the inaugural meeting tomorrow with President Zelensky and then to remove the requirement for Membership Action Plan. Such a statement made today the NATO Secretary General at the start of the 2023 NATO Vilnius Summit.

“At the Summit we will also make important decisions, sending a clear message to Ukraine that we stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes and expect Allies also to reiterate their commitment to provide military support to Ukraine to help them liberate more land. On the membership issue, I also expect that Allies will send a clear and positive message on the path forward towards membership for Ukraine. I have proposed a package of three elements with more practical support, with a multi-year program to ensure full interoperability between the Ukrainian forces and the NATO forces.

This will move Ukraine closer to NATO. To strengthen their political ties with the establishment of the NATO Ukraine Council, we will have the inaugural meeting tomorrow with President Zelensky and then to remove the requirement for Membership Action Plan. This will turn the membership process for Ukraine from a two-step process into a one-step process. So all of this will send a positive and strong message”, - said Jens Stoltenberg.