Kyiv: On his first trip to Kyiv since Russia's invasion a little over a year ago, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg defiantly proclaimed Thursday that Ukraine's "rightful place" is in the military alliance and pledged more support for the nation.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, urged Stoltenberg, who has been crucial in enlisting the aid of NATO members, to press for even more from them, such as warplanes, artillery, and armoured machinery.
The Kremlin has provided a number of justifications for the war, but reiterated on Thursday that one of the main objectives of its invasion remains to stop Ukraine from joining NATO, claiming that Kyiv's membership in the organisation would pose an existential threat to Russia.
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Stoltenberg has reaffirmed the 2008 pledge made by NATO leaders that Ukraine would join the alliance at some point, despite the fact that there is no set path or deadline for membership.
At a news conference, Stoltenberg stated, "Let me be clear, Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family." "NATO is where Ukraine belongs." Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the invitation to the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, but he insisted that his nation needs a roadmap for joining.
The time has come for the leaders of the (alliance) to outline the prospects for Ukraine's accession to NATO, the strategy for moving towards this goal, and the security assurances for our state during this movement — that is, prior to NATO membership, he said.
A NATO support programme for Ukraine was discussed, according to Stoltenberg and Zelensky. By doing this, you'll be able to upgrade from Soviet-era gear and doctrines to NATO standards and guarantee complete interoperability with the alliance, according to Stoltenberg. "NATO stands with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes."
He cited a declaration made on Thursday by the Netherlands and Denmark that they intended to give Ukraine at least 14 more refurbished Leopard 2 battle tanks by the start of 2024.
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Moreover, he predicted that nations would "make new announcements of concrete military support to Ukraine" at a meeting on Friday in Germany.
In other news, a sizable explosion occurred late on Thursday in the Russian city of Belgorod, and the Defence Ministry reported that one of its Su-34 fighter jets unintentionally fired a round over the city, which is located about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The government withheld any further information.
According to Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the explosion left a crater that was about 20 metres (65 feet) across, injured at least two people, and damaged homes.
Recent battles have devolved into an attrition-based battle, with neither side able to gain the upper hand. However, due to recent advanced weaponry delivery from its Western allies, Ukraine is anticipated to launch a counteroffensive in the upcoming weeks.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has threatened that if Ukraine tries to retake Moscow-occupied territory, Moscow may resort to using "all means available" to defend its territory, which some interpret as a threat to use nuclear weapons.
Despite the fact that NATO has no formal presence in Ukraine and only offers non-lethal assistance to Kiev, Stoltenberg has been the alliance's steadfast spokesperson throughout the conflict.
The former Norwegian prime minister is one of the last significant Western figures to visit Kyiv after a stream of world leaders did so over the previous year.
NATO, which was established to oppose the Soviet Union, has long feared getting entangled in a global conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia. But high-level visits have become commonplace as the West moved from hesitantly supplying helmets and uniforms to tanks, fighter jets, and cutting-edge missile systems.
According to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, preventing Ukraine from joining NATO is still one of the objectives of what Moscow refers to as its "special military operation." In a conference call with journalists, Peskov stated that the entry of Ukraine would pose a "serious, significant threat to our country, to our country's security."
Finland joined the alliance earlier this month, ending decades of neutrality in a historic realignment of the post-Cold War security landscape in Europe. Despite NATO's claims that it does not threaten Russia, Putin suffered a severe political blow as a result of the Nordic nation's accession.
Russia now has two borders with the largest security alliance in the world thanks to Finland's membership. By the time US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts meet in Vilnius in July, neighbouring Sweden is expected to join as well.
To deter Putin from attacking any member state, the alliance has concentrated on fortifying defences on its own soil. An attack on one member nation is regarded as an attack on all of them under the NATO collective security guarantee.
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With US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Stoltenberg will attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The organisation serves as the principal international platform for mobilising military aid for Ukraine.
According to the Ukraine Space Agency, a bright flash of light that appeared in the country's night sky the day before was most likely a meteor entering the atmosphere. An explosion was audible in the Kyiv region, and residents of the capital city and several other Belarusian cities saw the brief flash of light. In Kiev, it set off an air raid alarm.