Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes opening remarks at a meeting with Slovakian President Suzana Caputovaat at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
VILNIUS, Lithuania – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to sit down with Volodomyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit this morning, a day after the Ukrainian president blasted the alliance for failing to extend a clear invite to his country.
While Trudeau praised the allies for coming together to bring Ukraine closer to membership on Tuesday, Zelenskyy called it absurd that the leaders did not set out a timeline for that to happen.
The leaders say in a statement that Ukraine has some conditions to meet, including democratic reform and stamping out corruption.
But above all, NATO says, the war with Russia must end first.
Today also marks the first meeting of the new NATO-Ukraine Council, which will aim to deepen ties as Ukraine works toward meeting the alliance’s requirements.
Trudeau and Zelenskyy last met in person in June when the prime minister made a visit to Kyiv.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2023.
