Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyj is invited to participate in the EU countries' summit, which begins in Brussels on Thursday morning.
Zelenskyj has promised to tell EU leaders about his much-talked-about victory plan. Whether he will also visit NATO headquarters in Brussels is still unclear.
We are in close contact with Ukraine to see how we can take the next step in an effective and fruitful way. I cannot give you all the details, but we are certainly discussing the victory plan with them and how to take it a step further, says NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to the US, President Joe Biden will talk to Zelenskyj by phone on Wednesday. The two will not have time to meet during Biden's trip to Germany, which begins on Thursday.
A crucial part of the victory plan is for Ukraine to receive a formal invitation to NATO membership – even if the membership itself may take some time.
No clear announcements on this topic are given by Rutte, beyond a repetition of previous promises.
Ukraine will join the alliance when the time is ripe, says the Secretary General at his press conference ahead of this week's defense minister meeting.
NATO countries' defense ministers gather in Brussels for a two-day meeting on Thursday and Friday. Ukraine's defense minister is also present, as well as partner countries Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.
The meeting concludes with a press conference with Secretary General Mark Rutte at 12:15 pm on Friday.
In parallel, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyj is also visiting Brussels on Thursday. US President Joe Biden is also expected to arrive in Europe – for his part, in Germany, where he departs on Thursday.
