Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Newly appointed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 3 for a surprise visit.
Rutte's visit came days after he took the helm as the alliance's new secretary general. As a Dutch prime minister, he remained one of the staunchest of Kyiv's allies, taking the lead with initiatives like providing F-16 planes to Ukraine.
The NATO secretary general said on Oct. 1 that Ukraine would remain one of his top priorities amid Russia's ongoing war.
Speaking at a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Rutte reiterated that Ukraine's path towards NATO is "irreversible."
"Now we are focused on getting Ukraine invited to join the alliance. This is a very important step. It is difficult to achieve. We are focused on this result. We will do everything to get it," Zelensky said.
Earlier, Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, said Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia's full-scale war ends.
The invitation to join NATO is part of Ukraine's victory plan that was presented to U.S. President Joe Biden in late September.
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.
Elsa Court
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