Stoltenberg in Kyiv for the second time since the start of the war

Status: 28/09/2023, 15:08 p.m.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have met in Kyiv for talks. © Uncredited/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP/dpa

For the second time since the beginning of the war, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Ukraine. In Kiev, he also met with the Ukrainian president.

Kyiv - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has visited Ukraine for the second time since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression in February 2022. The Norwegian met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday. The meeting had initially been kept secret for security reasons. For the first time since the start of the war, Stoltenberg visited Ukraine on April 20 this year.

Zelensky thanked Stoltenberg on Telegram for the "meaningful" conversation. "Today, this is already a conversation between de facto allies - and it is only a matter of time before Ukraine becomes a de jure member of the alliance," he wrote.

At a joint press conference, Zelenskyy announced a new joint document that will set out practical steps on how Ukraine will achieve NATO standards. Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude for the continued support of NATO partners, but at the same time stressed the need for further help in the areas of cyber security and air defense.

Ukraine has been fending off a Russian war of aggression for 19 months with massive Western help. At the same time, the attacked country is striving for NATO membership, which Kiev has so far been denied. Dpa