President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 12 he hopes Ukraine will achieve victory in the full-scale war against Russia before the NATO summit in Washington in 2024.
Asked about the expectations before the next year's alliance summit, Zelensky said that Ukraine believes in victory over Russia.
"We believe that the next very important step for Ukraine will be at the next NATO summit - symbolically, after all, the 75th anniversary of the Alliance - in Washington. I think we need to work hard and prepare for this summit," the president said at a press conference following the summit in Vilnius.
Zelensky voiced his conviction that once Ukraine achieves victory, membership in NATO will follow.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukraine's Presidential Office, presented a similar position on July 11 when he said that Ukraine will receive a full invitation during the Washington summit at the latest.
"There is a 100% probability of this. Why? Because I think, by this time, Russia will finally lose its subjectivity and cease to exist as a country that can wage wars," Podolyak said, adding that Ukraine should win the war by 2024.
During the two-day summit in Vilnius, NATO adopted a three-part package to bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance, and dropped the need for the Membership Action Plan (MAP), but stopped short of a full invitation.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine will be able to join once "allies agree, and conditions are met."
While Ukraine's membership aspirations have not been satisfied, Zelensky acknowledged the positive results of the summit, as partners presented new security commitments and military aid packages for Kyiv.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
