Volodymyr Zelensky made the remark on social media on Tuesday night.
It came after the first day of talks at the Vilnius summit, during which NATO leaders reaffirmed that "Ukraine will become a member" of the alliance and would not be required to complete “a Membership Action Plan,” according to officials.
Zelensky himself delivered a speech at Vilnius's central square, calling on NATO allies to back Kyiv's membership bid, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The Ukrainian president later said in a tweet: “Tomorrow we will continue our work in Vilnius. Our defence is a top priority, and I am grateful to our partners for their willingness to take new steps.”
Zelensky added: “More weapons for our warriors, more protection of life for the whole of Ukraine. We will bring new important defence tools to Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s president also said that on Wednesday he would hold bilateral talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the leaders of the United States, Canada and Japan, as well as several European countries, The Kyiv Independent website reported.
Wednesday will also see the first meeting of the newly created NATO-Ukraine Council “at the level of heads of state and government,” officials said.
The new body is part of a package of measures designed “to bring Ukraine closer to accession,” The Kyiv Independent website reported.
Zelensky is scheduled to join the meeting, alongside NATO leaders including Polish President Andrzej Duda, according to officials.
Earlier on Wednesday, NATO leaders will gather for a “meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government, with Sweden, Indo-Pacific partners, and the European Union,” the PAP news agency reported.
Poland’s head of state on Tuesday met on the sidelines of the Vilnius summit with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, news outlets reported.
The two leaders discussed security issues, military cooperation between Poland and Britain, and "the collaboration between the arms industries of the two countries," according to officials.
On Wednesday morning, Duda was expected to talk to reporters ahead of the second day of the Vilnius summit.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Wednesday is day 504 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, The Kyiv Independent, NATO, Politico
