Stoltenberg Affirms NATO Support for Ukraine in Kyiv

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday, September 28, to underscore the organization’s support for Ukraine.

Footage released by Zelensky shows the pair meeting outside the Office of the President in Kyiv.

NATO said Stoltenberg had travelled to Kyiv to underscore “NATO’s powerful support for Ukraine”.

“Ukrainians are fighting for their families, their future, their freedom; Moscow is fighting for imperial delusions,” Stoltenberg said.

“Ukraine’s future is in NATO. As we work together to prepare you for that future, NATO will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," he continued,

Thursday’s visit to Kyiv marked the second visit by Stoltenberg since the start of the war. Credit: Volodymyr Zelensky via Storyful

Video transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much again, Secretary General, for your visit. Thank you. Thanks to your team for supporting us, supporting Ukraine. And we began to-- we discussed the summit and the results, the positive results of Vilnius summit and how it really works. We had experience after the summit how we can quickly meet. Then we wanted to discuss the situation on the battlefield with you together, and we also discussed what we see the main challenges. Of course it's winter and how to defend our people, how we can work on it on the air-defense issues, and about some future meetings, which can be in Brussels also, we discussed. So we are very welcome.

JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you for receiving me and my delegation. It's also great to see your delegation. These are all close friends, and we really appreciate the strong cooperation we have developed over the years between Ukraine and NATO. Thank you also for making the Vilnius summit a great success.

And rest assured, NATO allies will continue to provide support. And my most important task is to mobilize even more support from NATO allies because as I've said many, many times, this is not only about Ukraine. This is about the security for all NATO allies. Your fight is our fight, meaning that you are helping us to protect freedom and democracy across the whole alliance. So we are extremely grateful. Also met with some of your soldiers earlier today, and I praised them for their courage, their commitment, which has inspired the whole world.

So the next step now is to provide support, even more support, especially air defense, but also then to prepare for the Washington summit, the 75th anniversary. That also must be a great summit for Ukraine and our cooperation.