According to reports, as a sign of unity, the leaders of the US and Ukraine have decided to meet in Vilnius.
As a show of solidarity amid differences over the Western military alliance’s proposed security pledges to Kiev, US President Joe Biden is allegedly going to have a one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky during this week’s NATO conference in Lithuania.
Several US media sites reported on Monday, citing an unidentified White House official, that the talks will take place on Wednesday in Vilnius, alongside the NATO summit. As Zelensky’s attendance at the summit had been questioned, CNN stated that the meeting would serve as a display of unity.
The Ukrainian president might not attend the conference, according to media reports from earlier on Monday. Due to unclear promises from NATO countries over Kiev’s help in its war with Russia, Zelensky’s office has not confirmed his attendance, according to reports.
Zelensky has declared that it would be ineffective for him to attend the summit unless NATO offered a clear timeline for Kiev’s admission to the US-led military alliance.
The president stated last week in an interview with ABC News that it would be crucial to convey the idea that NATO is not fearful of Russia. While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, it should get explicit security guarantees. Our meeting would only be significant under these circumstances.
While Zelensky has acknowledged that Ukraine cannot join NATO as long as the war with Russia is ongoing, the 31-nation alliance’s members disagree on whether they should make specific commitments for future membership. The US recently claimed that security guarantees akin to those provided to Israel might be provided to Kiev as an alternative to full membership.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Sunday that Biden and Zelensky will probably talk about US security assurances in Vilnius.
According to Biden, until the crisis with Russia is resolved, Ukraine won’t be prepared to join NATO, and even then, Kiev would need to make reforms before it can do so, he said in a CNN interview that aired on Sunday.
