NATO Secretary General arrives in Ukraine

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Kyiv for an unannounced visit and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 29.

At a joint press conference with Stoltenberg, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and the North Atlantic Alliance had reached "the highest level of relations since independence", according to Espreso.

He said that the parties discussed the NATO Secretary General's initiative to create a special fund for financial support for Ukrainian defense worth 100 billion euros for a period of five years.

They also discussed the situation on the battlefield and the capabilities of Ukrainian defenders and partners to support the Armed Forces.

"Russia is trying to use the situation when we are waiting for supplies from our partners, especially the United States, to its advantage. Therefore, promptness in supply literally means stabilization of the frontline. Artillery, 155-millimeter shells, long-range weapons and air defense systems, primarily Patriot systems, are what our partners have and should now work here in Ukraine to destroy Russian terrorist ambitions. The Russian army is preparing for further offensive actions, and together we must disrupt this offensive," Zelenskyy emphasised.

"It is obvious that Ukraine will be in NATO, because it is impossible to imagine the security of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community without Ukraine's effective participation and guarantee of such security. It is our country, our people, and our potential that Russia seeks to use as a springboard for further destabilization of the entire European and Euro-Atlantic space. Therefore, it is here, in the defense of our state, that the answer to the question of reliable and long-term common security lies," the president said.

The Ukrainian leader also noted that the state is already working with NATO countries in multilateral formats. According to Zelenskyy, the meetings of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Ramstein format, in which more than 50 countries interact, have proven to be effective.

"Our NATO-Ukraine Council is also working, meetings and effective discussions are taking place, and I want to thank Jens Stoltenberg for this, because this platform is really effective," Zelenskyy said.