NATO reaffirms support for Ukraine's push for membership. Here's what's to know from the summit in Lithuania
From CNN staff
NATO allies on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s push for membership of the alliance, according to a final declaration issued by the 31-member group at a summit in Lithuania.
“Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” it said. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met."
NATO allies also reiterated their condemnation of Russia's war and its "blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles.”
Here are the latest developments from the summit:
Rock star welcome: Speaking before thousands on a stage decked out with the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag — beneath a huge sign reading “#UkraineNATO33” — President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was attending the summit to seek “total assurance” from NATO members of the decision that Ukraine “deserves,” referring to membership of the alliance. “NATO will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make NATO stronger,” he said. After the speech, a Ukrainian flag sent from the front lines of the war was raised in the Lithuanian capital.
Streamlined path: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has changed the requirements needed for Ukraine to join the group. Stoltenberg said allied countries “agreed to remove the requirements for membership action,” which will change Ukraine’s membership path from a “two-step process to a one-step process.”
Sweden next: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday he was "very happy" with Turkey's green light to Sweden's NATO membership. On Monday, Stoltenberg said Turkey agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance. Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had suggested Sweden could only join after his country was accepted into the European Union.
Broader concerns: The Western allies expressed “serious concern” over Iran’s “malicious activities” and urged Tehran to stop supplying drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. In its communiqué, NATO said, “Iran’s support to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine” is impacting Euro-Atlantic security. NATO also called on China to abstain from supporting the Russian war effort.
Cluster bombs: Allies know why the United States is providing controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. “Every ally I've talked to has said they understand why we're doing this, when we're doing it,” Blinken told NBC. Some key US allies, including the UK, France and Germany, are signatories to a ban on cluster munitions.
Turkey talks: US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Erdogan met Tuesday and "discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation," the White House said in a readout of the meeting. Biden is expected to meet Zelensky in Vilnius on Wednesday.
1 hr 22 min ago
Ukrainian air defense repels attack in Kyiv region for second night in a row, military says
From CNN’s Mariya Knight
Russia launched airstrikes toward the Kyiv region for the second night in a row during the early hours of Wednesday (local time), but Ukraine’s air defense systems engaged in repelling the attack, according to the Kyiv regional military administration.
“The movement of enemy UAVs has been recorded! Air defense works in the region,” the administration said on Telegram.
The strikes come following an overnight attack on Monday in which drones launched by Russia were shot down by Ukraine’s air defense.
1 hr 16 min ago
"Ukraine's future is in NATO," alliance members reaffirm in joint declaration at summit
From CNN's Sugam Pokharel and Lauren Kent in London
NATO allies on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s push for membership of the alliance, according to a final declaration issued by the 31-member group at a summit in Lithuania.
“Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” it said. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met."
NATO allies also reiterated their condemnation “in the strongest terms (of) Russia’s blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles.”
“We do not and will never recognise Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexations, including Crimea,” the statement said. “There can be no impunity for Russian war crimes and other atrocities, such as attacks against civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure that deprives millions of Ukrainians of basic human services.”
3 hr 27 min ago
US ambassador to NATO says it is tough to agree on timeline for Ukraine's accession
From CNN's Amanpour team and Bianna Golodryga
Julianne Smith, US Ambassador to NATO, told CNN that it is "very tough" to agree on a timeline for Ukraine's accession to the alliance while the country is still at war.
"Even the Ukrainians themselves will tell you that they need to make further reforms. They've made good progress on a variety of democratic and security sector reforms, but they'll have to continue working in that direction," Smith said Tuesday.
Smith reiterated that Ukraine has already taken positive steps, which led to NATO agreeing to streamline the accession process by removing a key hurdle for Ukraine — the requirement for a Membership Action Plan.
When asked about whether Ukraine's position and the lack of a timeline gives Russia an incentive to continue fighting, Smith emphasized that allies have already committed to Ukraine's future in NATO, as well as to giving the country long-term support.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin assumed when he started this war, that he could wait us out that the West would look the other direction and it would ultimately lose interest in Ukraine. And the reality is we're at day 500 of this war, and no one is going anywhere," she said.
Smith also said the United States is "thrilled" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in attendance for the summit and for the first NATO Ukraine Council, adding, "I think this sends a very strong signal to President Putin."
1 min ago
Ukrainian military says forces are making progress in the south
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva
The Ukrainian military said it is making progress on the southern front and has “conducted both offensive and effective defense operations.”
Valerii Shershen, a spokesperson for the forces in the south, said the Russians had been forced to “pull up reserves as a result of the onslaught by our strike units.”
He said other Ukrainian units continued to “consolidate their positions, conduct demining and are in number one readiness to continue the offensive.”
CNN cannot verify the Ukrainian claims of battlefield gains.
Ukrainian officials have made it clear that minimizing losses is their priority as they try to break down complex Russian defenses developed over months.
In the east, Russian attacks continue around Marinka and Avdiivka, Shershen said. “We are fighting back and holding our ground. Over the last day, 18 combat engagements took place here, most of them in the area of Marinka.”
3 hr 37 min ago
US secretary of state: "I don't think we've seen the last chapter" yet in the Putin-Prigozhin drama
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that he doesn’t believe “we've seen the last of” the developments related to Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“I don't think we've seen the last chapter in this drama,” Blinken said in an interview with NBC.
“Putin is clearly trying to work his way through something. But this was a direct challenge to his authority, a direct challenge to the basic premises of the war that he laid out,” he said. “And I don't think we've seen the last of it.”
The top US diplomat reiterated that the revolt was an internal Russian matter, but called it a “truly extraordinary thing.”
“We're at a place 16 months ago where Russia was on the doorsteps of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. And now, just a couple of weeks ago, mercenaries of Putin's own making were on the doorsteps of Moscow,” he said.
Some context: Putin met Prizgozhin days after his short-lived mutiny last month, the Kremlin claimed Monday, clearing up some confusion over the Wagner chief's whereabouts but adding to the mystery over what was the greatest threat to Putin’s rule yet.
NATO allies reaffirmed their support Tuesday for Ukraine's push for membership of the military alliance. The official communiqué did not however address President Volodymyr Zelensky's demand for an official timeline for when Kyiv can join.
Shortly after the announcement, Zelensky addressed a large crowd in Vilnius, saying "NATO will give Ukraine security" and, in turn, "Ukraine will make NATO stronger."
Meanwhile, two Russian commanders have been killed in separate incidents, Ukrainian officials said.
NATO allies on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s push for membership of the alliance, according to a final declaration issued by the 31-member group at a summit in Lithuania.
“Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” it said. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met."
NATO allies also reiterated their condemnation of Russia's war and its "blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles.”
Here are the latest developments from the summit:
Rock star welcome: Speaking before thousands on a stage decked out with the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag — beneath a huge sign reading “#UkraineNATO33” — President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was attending the summit to seek “total assurance” from NATO members of the decision that Ukraine “deserves,” referring to membership of the alliance. “NATO will give Ukraine security. Ukraine will make NATO stronger,” he said. After the speech, a Ukrainian flag sent from the front lines of the war was raised in the Lithuanian capital.
Streamlined path: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance has changed the requirements needed for Ukraine to join the group. Stoltenberg said allied countries “agreed to remove the requirements for membership action,” which will change Ukraine’s membership path from a “two-step process to a one-step process.”
Sweden next: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday he was "very happy" with Turkey's green light to Sweden's NATO membership. On Monday, Stoltenberg said Turkey agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance. Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had suggested Sweden could only join after his country was accepted into the European Union.
Broader concerns: The Western allies expressed “serious concern” over Iran’s “malicious activities” and urged Tehran to stop supplying drones to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. In its communiqué, NATO said, “Iran’s support to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine” is impacting Euro-Atlantic security. NATO also called on China to abstain from supporting the Russian war effort.
Cluster bombs: Allies know why the United States is providing controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday. “Every ally I've talked to has said they understand why we're doing this, when we're doing it,” Blinken told NBC. Some key US allies, including the UK, France and Germany, are signatories to a ban on cluster munitions.
Turkey talks: US President Joe Biden and Turkish President Erdogan met Tuesday and "discussed efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation," the White House said in a readout of the meeting. Biden is expected to meet Zelensky in Vilnius on Wednesday.
Russia launched airstrikes toward the Kyiv region for the second night in a row during the early hours of Wednesday (local time), but Ukraine’s air defense systems engaged in repelling the attack, according to the Kyiv regional military administration.
“The movement of enemy UAVs has been recorded! Air defense works in the region,” the administration said on Telegram.
The strikes come following an overnight attack on Monday in which drones launched by Russia were shot down by Ukraine’s air defense.
NATO allies on Tuesday reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s push for membership of the alliance, according to a final declaration issued by the 31-member group at a summit in Lithuania.
“Ukraine’s future is in NATO,” it said. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met."
NATO allies also reiterated their condemnation “in the strongest terms (of) Russia’s blatant violations of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and OSCE commitments and principles.”
“We do not and will never recognise Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexations, including Crimea,” the statement said. “There can be no impunity for Russian war crimes and other atrocities, such as attacks against civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure that deprives millions of Ukrainians of basic human services.”
Julianne Smith, US Ambassador to NATO, told CNN that it is "very tough" to agree on a timeline for Ukraine's accession to the alliance while the country is still at war.
"Even the Ukrainians themselves will tell you that they need to make further reforms. They've made good progress on a variety of democratic and security sector reforms, but they'll have to continue working in that direction," Smith said Tuesday.
Smith reiterated that Ukraine has already taken positive steps, which led to NATO agreeing to streamline the accession process by removing a key hurdle for Ukraine — the requirement for a Membership Action Plan.
When asked about whether Ukraine's position and the lack of a timeline gives Russia an incentive to continue fighting, Smith emphasized that allies have already committed to Ukraine's future in NATO, as well as to giving the country long-term support.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin assumed when he started this war, that he could wait us out that the West would look the other direction and it would ultimately lose interest in Ukraine. And the reality is we're at day 500 of this war, and no one is going anywhere," she said.
Smith also said the United States is "thrilled" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in attendance for the summit and for the first NATO Ukraine Council, adding, "I think this sends a very strong signal to President Putin."
The Ukrainian military said it is making progress on the southern front and has “conducted both offensive and effective defense operations.”
Valerii Shershen, a spokesperson for the forces in the south, said the Russians had been forced to “pull up reserves as a result of the onslaught by our strike units.”
He said other Ukrainian units continued to “consolidate their positions, conduct demining and are in number one readiness to continue the offensive.”
CNN cannot verify the Ukrainian claims of battlefield gains.
Ukrainian officials have made it clear that minimizing losses is their priority as they try to break down complex Russian defenses developed over months.
In the east, Russian attacks continue around Marinka and Avdiivka, Shershen said. “We are fighting back and holding our ground. Over the last day, 18 combat engagements took place here, most of them in the area of Marinka.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that he doesn’t believe “we've seen the last of” the developments related to Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“I don't think we've seen the last chapter in this drama,” Blinken said in an interview with NBC.
“Putin is clearly trying to work his way through something. But this was a direct challenge to his authority, a direct challenge to the basic premises of the war that he laid out,” he said. “And I don't think we've seen the last of it.”
The top US diplomat reiterated that the revolt was an internal Russian matter, but called it a “truly extraordinary thing.”
“We're at a place 16 months ago where Russia was on the doorsteps of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. And now, just a couple of weeks ago, mercenaries of Putin's own making were on the doorsteps of Moscow,” he said.
Some context: Putin met Prizgozhin days after his short-lived mutiny last month, the Kremlin claimed Monday, clearing up some confusion over the Wagner chief's whereabouts but adding to the mystery over what was the greatest threat to Putin’s rule yet.
