On June 14 in Brussels, US ambassador Julianne Smith shared details of the military alliance summit in Lithuania and provided food for thought for Zelenskyy and Putin.
"Russia doesn't get a voice or a veto on NATO's open-door policy. We support Ukraine's aspirations, its Euro-Atlantic aspirations, to fully integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions," Julianne Smith.
In her speech at a briefing to reporters, ambassador Smith said that "a nice package to deliver at the summit' is being prepared for Ukraine, and every member of NATO, except perhaps Hungary, will be happy to welcome president Zelenskyy on the summit.
Military allies are ready to help Ukraine not only with "current efforts to defend their territorial integrity, but (with) practical support tied to longer-term questions, longer-term modernisation issues that they will be grappling with, questions of standardisation, interoperability, and thinking about what type of force they will have in the future."
"But at the summit, we'll have more to say about our longer-term practical assistance," added Julianne Smith.
