UPDATED: Zelensky meets with NATO leaders, discusses new military aid packages

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the second day of NATO's 2023 Vilnius Summit on July 12. Zelensky said the leaders promised Ukraine new military aid.

Ukraine will receive new Patriot systems and missiles from Germany, as well as armored vehicles from Canada, Zelensky wrote on Twitter and Telegram on July 12.

Zelensky met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the NATO summit, as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"I am grateful to Justin and Canada for reinforcing our warriors with armored vehicles. We have reached powerful agreements," Zelensky wrote about his meeting with Trudeau.

"There is an agreement on additional Patriot launchers and missiles for them from Germany. This is very important for protecting life in Ukraine from Russian terror!" he wrote after meeting with Scholz.

Ukraine also signed two agreements with Sweden over defense procurements and the intel exchange, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Australia pledged to deliver another 30 Bushmaster armored vehicles to Ukraine, Zelensky announced on Telegram.

"A powerful new defense pack, including 30 Bushmasters. As always, we also have a complete political understanding," Zelensky wrote.

Ukraine will be invited to join NATO when "the allies agree, and conditions are met," Stoltenberg said at the summit's press conference without providing further details.

"This is a strong package for Ukraine. And a clear path towards its membership in NATO," he added, reaffirming that Ukraine "will become a member of NATO."

However, Zelensky, who arrived in Vilnius on July 11, expressed his discontent over the lack of a real timeframe and invitation to join NATO after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine would receive an invitation to join NATO when "the allies agree, and conditions are met" without providing any details.

The alliance adopted a three-part support package for Ukraine, which includes removing the requirement to undergo the Membership Action Plan.

While en route to Vilnius, Zelensky said that he had "received signals that certain wording is being discussed without Ukraine," noting that the "wording is about the invitation to become NATO member, not about Ukraine's membership."

"It's unprecedented and absurd when a time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine's membership. While at the same time vague wording about 'conditions' is added even for inviting Ukraine," the president tweeted.

Vilnius summit brings Ukraine closer to NATO, but direct invitation withheld

NATO allies adopted a three-part support package for Ukraine, which includes removing the requirement to undergo the Membership Action Plan, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during the Vilnius summit on July 11. Ukraine will receive an invitation to join NATO when “the allies agree, and…

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova