Zelensky meets with NATO’s Stoltenberg in New York

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in New York on Sept. 25, thanking him for “supporting Ukraine throughout his tenure.”
In a post on social media, Zelensky said the pair discussed several issues, including “the need to enhance Ukraine’s air defense, (and) the continued efforts on an invitation for our state to join NATO as soon as possible.”
Stoltenberg is stepping down as NATO Secretary General next month. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will take his place.
Zelensky is in the U.S. this week where is expected to present his victory plan to U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Sept. 26.
An invitation to join NATO is part of the plan, the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said on Sept. 24.
Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, half a year into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The July NATO summit in Washington ended with the launch of the Ukraine Compact, a security framework signed by 32 allies. The countries affirmed Kyiv’s “irreversible” path toward membership, though Ukraine did not receive any definitive news about its future accession.
Biden said that peace in Ukraine means a guarantee that Russia will never occupy the country again, but Kyiv’s membership in NATO is not necessary for this.
According to Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia’s full-scale war ends.