NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a number of statements following the first day of the summit in Lithuania. According to the BBC, the alliance will invite Ukraine to join when all allies agree to it and the necessary conditions are met.
At the same time, Stoltenberg added that the action plan for joining the alliance would be simplified for Ukraine, as a result, "instead of two steps" to become a member of NATO, "only one step" would be needed.
According to him, today the allies agreed on a new plan to support Ukraine. Among other things, it is aimed at ensuring the transition from Soviet to NATO standards and doctrines, as well as at restoring the defense sector.
A new NATO-Ukraine Council will be formed, the members of which will “meet on equal terms”, and the first talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place tomorrow.
The alliance's secretary general also said that NATO plans to have 300,000 troops on high alert and he expects the number of countries contributing 2% of GDP to defense to increase next year.
