Stoltenberg confirms Zelensky accepted invite to upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed on April 21 that President Volodymyr Zelensky had accepted his invitation to the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, this July.

"I have invited him to attend the meeting and I'm glad that he has accepted the invitation and will attend the NATO Summit in Vilnius," Stoltenberg told the press before the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.

During a meeting with Stoltenberg in Kyiv on April 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needed "something more than the format of our relations which exist today" and even though Ukraine was thankful for the defense aid provided by NATO members, the country needed a clearer indication of when it was joining NATO.

"There is no objective barrier that would prevent the adoption of political decisions on inviting Ukraine to the Alliance," Zelensky added.

At the meeting, the NATO chief reaffirmed his personal support for Ukraine's future NATO membership.

"I will speak clearly," Stoltenberg said at the briefing, "Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family, Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO."