kyiv: At the upcoming NATO summit, where Kyiv is hoping for a clear indication that it might one day join the alliance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope for the "best possible result" on Sunday.

Zelensky said he spoke with Andrzej Duda, his Polish counterpart, after their meeting, and the two agreed to "work together to get the best possible result for Ukraine." The summit begins on Tuesday in Vilnius.

One of NATO's most ardent supporters of Ukraine is Poland, which has stated that it wants "security guarantees" for the nation from other NATO members.

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Zelensky has stated that he does not anticipate Ukraine to formally join NATO until after the conflict, but he does believe the summit will send out a "clear signal" regarding the intention to admit Ukraine to the coalition.

On his way to the NATO summit, US President Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Sunday. He expressed his hope that the leaders of the military alliance would "lay out a rational path for Ukraine to be able to qualify to be able to get into NATO."
Speaking to CNN, he added that there were "other qualifications that need to be met, including democratisation."

"I don't think there is a unanimous decision within NATO about whether or not to admit Ukraine at this time, in the midst of a war,"

The NATO commitment to collective defence, according to Biden, would result in "war with Russia" if Ukraine were to be included at this time.

On Saturday, the 500th day of Russia's full-scale invasion, Zelensky returned from Turkiye after a tour of the region to rally support before the summit with Western allies, who have committed billions in military aid.

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Five senior commanders from the Azov regiment who were meant to stay in Turkiye until the end of the war as part of a prisoner exchange agreement with Moscow were with him.

Their return to Ukraine infuriated the Kremlin, which claimed that it was "a direct violation" of the agreement with Turkiye in a statement attributed to spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday.

According to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Sunday and the two discussed the issue of the Azov commanders.

During the summit, Biden wants to put pressure on Turkey to end its opposition to Sweden's almost-certain admission to NATO.

The White House reported that Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible" in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday.

Separately, Erdogan's office announced that he would meet with Biden during the NATO summit in Vilnius.

According to the Turkish presidency, the discussions will centre on "Ukraine's position in NATO, Sweden's membership in NATO, and the delivery of F-16" fighter jets, which Turkey hopes to obtain from the United States.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on board the US presidential plane that Biden and Erdogan "will have the opportunity to sit down in Vilnius," but he added that the timing was still being worked out.

Sweden's entry into NATO, according to Sullivan, will happen "at the right time. Great if we can finish it by Vilnius. That might or might not occur, he said.

Erdogan, according to the Turkish presidency, reiterated to Biden his long-standing position that Sweden must continue to take action against alleged Kurdish militants in order to win Turkey's support.

Last week, Zelensky secured a US commitment for cluster munitions that could cause serious harm to Russian forces.
Cluster bombs are outlawed in much of the world, so Washington's decision to supply Ukraine with them has generated considerable controversy.

Biden acknowledged that it had been "a difficult decision," which was harshly criticised by humanitarian organisations.

According to Sullivan, Kyiv promised on Sunday to only use the weapons on Ukrainian soil "where they have the highest incentive to limit impact to civilians, because it would be Ukrainian citizens who would be at risk."

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On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, who, according to Sullivan, "gave further assurances" about the use of the cluster munitions.

Hun Sen, the prime minister of Cambodia, urged Ukraine not to use cluster bombs on Sunday as his nation continues to deal with the deadly aftereffects of war.

If cluster bombs are used in Ukrainian territory that is under Russian occupation, Hun Sen tweeted, "it would be the greatest danger for Ukrainians for many years or up to a hundred years."

The decision was described as a "act of desperation" that would have "no effect" on the conflict by Russia, which employs cluster munitions itself in the conflict in Ukraine.