Stoltenberg expects Ukraine’s membership in NATO during the next ten years and details the Alliance’s aid to Kyiv.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes that Ukraine will join the defense alliance within the next decade. “I hope that Ukraine will become an ally,” said Stoltenberg, who is leaving the position of secretary general in the fall, when asked about the Alliance’s potential expansion in the next 10 years.

The official commented on the upcoming summit and noted that supporting Ukraine will be “his most urgent task.” He expects that Washington “will agree on a substantial aid package.”

Stoltenberg also reminded observers that NATO will take over the coordination and provision of most international security assistance. Alliance members will agree on their financial commitments, providing more immediate military support to and bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, and deeper military interoperability is also expected. According to the Secretary-General, all these elements “are a bridge to membership in NATO and a robust support package for Ukraine, which is approaching membership in the Alliance.”