ONE FOR ALL
NATO allies AGREE Ukraine will become member of alliance in latest blow to Vladimir Putin & crumbling Russia
ALL NATO allies have now agreed that Ukraine will eventually become a member of the alliance, delivering a crushing blow to Putin.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed today that Ukraine will join the alliance, but that the main focus right now is to ensure the country prevails against Russia.
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Speaking ahead of a meeting of at Ramstein air base in Germany, he also told reporters that once the war in Ukraine ends, Kyiv must have "the deterrence to prevent new attacks".
His statements come as Stoltenberg pledges continued support to the war-ravaged country during his first visit to Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
On the visit to Kyiv, Stoltenberg said The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation would "ensure that Ukraine prevails" against Russia.
"NATO stands with Ukraine today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes," he declared.
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"Let me be clear, Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family," he said.
"Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO."
"Over time, our support will help you make this possible," the NATO leader added.
At a NATO summit in July, Zelensky echoed the argument that it "could become historic" if Ukraine received a formal invitation to join.
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"It is time to take the appropriate decision," Zelensky said during Stoltenberg's current visit to the capital.
The NATO leader did not hold out any immediate prospect of alliance membership, but said the subject would be "high on the agenda" of the July summit in Lithuania.
Finland officially joined the treaty on April 4, which provoked desperate claims from Putin to ramp up it's forces on the Finnish border to "liberate" the Nordic country.
The long awaited admission came after both Finland and Sweden applied to join the alliance almost 12 months ago but were hampered by disagreements with Turkey.
The United States is hosting a meeting in Germany today to discuss further support for Ukraine after President Zelensky pushed Western allies to send more fighter jets and long-range missiles.
Representatives from around 50 countries will gather to coordinate their backing for Kyiv, as battles with Russia rage in the east of the country.
Ukraine is still heroically staving off Russian advances in Bakhmut - the bloodiest battle of the war so far, where brutal fighting has resorted to becoming a hellscape of World War One-style slaughter.
The Ukrainian president asked for NATO's help to "overcome the reluctance" of some member states in providing long-range rockets, modern fighter jets and armoured vehicles - needed ahead of rumoured approaching counteroffensive.
NATO members have sent some Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine, but no modern planes have been pledged despite Ukraine's requests.
Ukraine's Western supporters have also been reluctant to send long-range rockets because of concerns that Ukraine could use them to hit targets within Russia.
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Earlier this week, Ukraine said it had received the first shipment of Patriots, seen as one of the most advanced US air defence systems.
The kit has been one of Kyiv's key asks from Western allies as it looks to defend itself from Russian missile attacks and roll back Moscow's invasion.
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