NATO chief makes first visit to Kiev since war in Ukraine
The NATO chief, like many others, visited Kiev in a previously unannounced trip.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a media conference during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (AP)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg paid an unannounced visit to Kiev on Thursday, his first since the Russian invasion, according to Ukrainian media and a NATO official.
The Kiev Independent newspaper shared images of Stoltenberg in central Kiev, standing in front of a memorial for fallen soldiers. The photographs showed Stoltenberg with his head down in front of the memorial.
Many Western officials travel to Kiev without announcing their trips in advance for security reasons. "The NATO Secretary-General is in Ukraine. We will release more information as soon as possible," a NATO official said.
Stoltenberg invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month to the NATO summit in July, and also announced that NATO member states have provided 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid to Kiev in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"We are united in our determination to stay the course and support Ukraine for as long as it takes. [NATO] Allies have delivered 65 billion euros of military aid," the NATO chief said ahead of a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers from April 4-5 in Brussels.
Stoltenberg also welcomed the start of deliveries of Western tanks and other armored vehicles to Ukraine. "This can make a real difference on the front lines," he underlined.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana revealed that the alliance's military aid to Ukraine amounted to approximately $70.8 billion over the previous year.
Emphasizing the geopolitical importance of the war in Ukraine, Geoana said that NATO expects the pertinent war with Russia to shape global security for decades to come.
