President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The conversation between the presidents took place in the presence of journalists and members of the Ukrainian delegation and was broadcast via video. Zelenskyy's talks with other leaders were not broadcast.
Biden expressed hope that Zelenskyy felt the extent of support from NATO allies, which can make it clear to Ukraine whether it will be accepted into NATO.
"The whole world sees the courage that Ukraine is showing. When you see a 65-year-old woman going to help her neighbours after a hit on her house. It's from the heart, it inspires me," he said.
Biden said he understood Ukraine's concerns about the supply of weapons, but assured Zelenskyy that the United States was doing everything it could to prove quick help in the fight. According to him, the US Secretary of Defence is constantly in touch with colleagues from other countries to consolidate support.
"We look forward to the day when we celebrate Ukraine's accession to NATO," Biden said.
President Zelenskyy thanked him for all the help and specifically for the decision to provide cluster munitions. He recalled that Russia is firing cluster munitions at Ukrainian troops, so for Ukraine receiving them is a chance to save their lives.
As a reminder, the United States and other G7 members today signed a declaration with long-term commitments to Ukraine. The next step is to conclude bilateral security agreements between Ukraine and individual guarantor countries.